Having a simple set of buckets you can use to think about your life is a useful analogy and one I’ve seen applied in a couple ways. What I like is the ability for a completeness check and for some sense of balance.  Are you including aspects from all of the buckets? Are you too heavy or too light in some buckets?

Retirement Options uses six life arenas, similar to what I’m calling life buckets: Career & Work, Health & Wellness, Finances & Insurance, Family & Relationships, Leisure & Social, and Personal Development.

How to Live a Good Life by Jonathan Fields, PhD, uses a three Life Bucket approach. They consist of Vitality, Connection, and Contribution. His is a simple, actionable framework that uses some interesting visualizations of buckets leaking over time and buckets needing to be at the same level (i.e. interconnected).

Resources:

• What Color is Your Retirement? by Robert P. Johnson PhD
• How to Live a Good Life by Jonathan Fields