If you want a character's journey, their story, what they want the most, their goals, relationships, if you want to make those things worth the read, make your character WORK FOR IT. dont hand it to them on a silver platter, dont make it easy for them. throw as many things at them as you can, make them juggle all of these things, make them feel overwhelmed, make them want to give up. then, when theyre on the brink of sanity, give them a reason to stay, to keep fighting. then, take it away. then, give them another reason, but let it leave. get them to a point where they realise, THEY MUST KEEP FIGHTING. and when is all said and done, give them a problem in which they cant fix it. dont let them fix it. actions have consequences, always. to undo something that made it so hard for them to work towards the goal they wanted SO BAD, that would erase all the hard work you put into this story, and this character.

make your character work for it.

and make them live with the consequences of what it took to get it.