"FFXIV is not meant to be played like Wow. I should stop playing FFXIV like WoW"

Write this on a chalk board/white board 50 times. Take a breath, resume the game and play it properly. If you're complaining about the story in a story-centric game, it's not the game's fault. It's like complaining about the square shaped spaces on a chess board, or the fact the pawns only move forward. "It'd be so much more fun if every piece moved like the queen!"

This game is a single player JRPG in the skin of an MMO. There is absolutely no reason to rush towards 'endgame' content as anything that concerns ilvl is on an 8 (formerly 6) month deathclock with catch-up mechanics on ilvl abounds. Most content can be completed in casual gear provided to you by the story.

The primary motivation of the game is to enjoy it like a theme park, not grind at it like a sweatshop. If doing the story so much bothers you, stop and take a break, go visit the Golden Saucer, maybe play some minigames to take your mind off of things for a while, and re-approach the story later. You're even encouraged to put the game down for a bit and take a breather.

Endgame in FFXIV is just another part of the whole, and just as optional. Most players don't even touch it.