I just restarted after quitting and losing some progress. Apparently, gaining skills does not increase the Soul's Journey, but as you've said, other things definitely do. I keep the wants turned off, but the bleed-through of them, especially at festivals in the Ravenloft world, show me that they are still running in the background. Maybe that is part of what is making the Soul's Journey less fun than it could be.
It definitely goes by too quickly, but I really like the idea of a bucket list. Maybe EA could at least make the bucket list not disappear with the conclusion of the Soul's Journey. Not tie it to wants. Adjust it for the life-span. Your LIFE Journey is not over when the Soul's Journey ends. 😉