While a story's plot may be shaped by the thing your character wants, it's meaning comes from the thing your character needs. It's less obvious, but more important, and it's here that stories make their impact.
The need is the internal, emotional lesson the character needs to learn in order to obtain the thing they want. Failure to do so will result in a negative character arc.
Key characteristics of the thing your character needs are that they are internal/ emotional, they hold the character back and prevent them from getting their want, and are usually connected to their core wound/ ghost/ flaw/ lie the character believes.
Examples of the thing the character needs are Neo's need to learn to believe or trust in himself to defeat the Agents in The Matrix. Both Woody and Shrek need to learn to open their hearts to the love and help of friends.
To learn more about the thing your character needs, check out K. M. Weiland's discussion of the subject. She's really the best resource on the topic.
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