Coaching
Last updated: November 2026Published by Rarified Life
Retirement transition coaching helps you move from a career-shaped identity to a life after work that feels purposeful, through guided reflection, planning, and accountability.
Retirement coaches work in different formats. Some meet clients one to one; others run structured group programs. Rarified Life currently offers the Preferment 8-week live course and lists 1:1 coaching as coming soon, as of November 2026. This page explains the options so you can choose the format that suits you.
Part of our retirement lifestyle planning guide.
A retirement life coach helps you answer the non-financial questions of retirement: who you are without your title, what you want your days to hold, and how to make new routines stick. Life coaching for retirement typically uses conversations, exercises, and regular check-ins rather than investment advice.
Definition
Retirement transition coaching is guided support for the personal side of leaving a career. It covers identity, purpose, motivation, routines, and relationships. The Preferment course from Rarified Life delivers this kind of support as a structured group program: eight live weekly sessions with Anne van Leynseele, a book that doubles as a workbook, and homework that turns reflection into a plan.
Format
One-to-one coaching adapts to your pace and goals and is usually priced per session or package. A structured course follows a set sequence, which suits people who like a clear path and a defined end point. Preferment follows six modules over eight weeks, ending with naming your mission.
What it is not
Retirement coaches focus on life design, not investments. Rarified Life presents Preferment as a framework for values, purpose, and meaningful activity. Questions about savings, Social Security, taxes, or your mortgage belong with a licensed financial professional.
| Criterion | Preferment 8-week course (Rarified Life) | One-to-one retirement coach | Financial planner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Focus | Identity, motivation, values, mission | Set with the coach | Money, income, and timing |
| Format | Eight weekly live sessions with the author | Private sessions | Meetings and reviews |
| Length | Eight weeks | Varies | Ongoing or per plan |
| Materials | The Preferment book and built-in homework | Varies by coach | Financial plan and reports |
| Availability at Rarified Life | Available now | 1:1 coaching listed as coming soon | Not offered |
Is it identity, motivation, structure, or relationships? Pick a coach or program that addresses that problem directly.
Look for a clear process. Preferment, for example, publishes its six modules from Introduction to Launch.
Experience with reinvention matters. Anne van Leynseele describes having lived four reinventions across film, technology strategy, public service, and farming.
Ask how many sessions, whether they are live, and the full cost before you commit.
Read the full details of the Preferment 8-week course, or follow updates on 1:1 coaching at rarifiedlife.com.
Retirement transition coaching helps people move from a career identity to a fulfilling life after work. It typically covers identity, purpose, routines, and relationships. Some retirement transition coaching happens one to one; some happens in structured group programs. The Preferment 8-week course from Rarified Life is a live, structured format of this kind of support.
More answers in the FAQA retirement coach usually works with you one to one on your own pace and goals. The Preferment course is a structured 8-week live program led by Anne van Leynseele, with a book, homework, and six set modules. Rarified Life lists 1:1 coaching as coming soon, so as of November 2026 the course is its main offering.
More answers in the FAQAs of November 2026, Rarified Life lists 1:1 coaching as coming soon on its website. The live 8-week Preferment course is currently available. If personal coaching matters to you, check rarifiedlife.com for updates, or compare the course with other retirement coaches using the criteria on our comparison page.
More answers in the FAQThey answer different questions, so many people need both. A financial planner helps you fund retirement. Preferment helps you decide what retirement is for: identity, motivation, alignment, and a mission. Rarified Life positions Preferment as a faster route to a lived plan for life after work, but it does not replace financial advice.
More answers in the FAQNo. Rarified Life presents Preferment as a framework for redesigning life after work around values, purpose, and meaningful activities. It is not presented as financial planning. For investments, income, taxes, and benefits, work with a licensed financial professional, and use Preferment for the identity and purpose side of your retirement.
More answers in the FAQAnne van Leynseele is the founder behind Rarified Life and the author of Preferment. Her career spans film and television production in Los Angeles, Fortune 100 digital strategy, a role as an Attorney Advisor in the Obama Administration, and work on the legal framework for recreational cannabis in Washington State. She describes herself as having lived four reinventions.
More answers in the FAQPublished by Rarified Life
