The courseLast updated: November 2026Published by Rarified Life
The Preferment 8 week retirement course gives you one live session a week with Anne van Leynseele, her book as your workbook, and homework between sessions.
Rarified Life runs Preferment as eight weekly live sessions that work through the Preferment book chapter by chapter. Homework built into the book is done between sessions, and the six modules move from Introduction and Identity to Accountability and Launch. Each week builds on the last.
Each week you meet live with Anne van Leynseele and work through a chapter of Preferment. Between sessions you complete the exercises built into the book. Rarified Life is clear that these are real exercises, not busywork: they are how reading becomes a plan for your own days.
The course is a structured path, not a self-help pep talk. You do not need to arrive with a five-year plan. As the course page puts it, you just need a room to start figuring it out in.
Definition
Preferment is Rarified Life's live, 8-week course for driven people who are done treating retirement like an ending and ready to treat it like an ascension. It is taught by Anne van Leynseele, who wrote the book the course follows. The course is built for high achievers approaching or in retirement and focuses on identity, motivation, values, and daily structure rather than on money.
By the numbers
All four figures come from the Preferment course listing on rarifiedlife.com.
Each session works through the Preferment book chapter by chapter.
Preferment is your companion text and workbook for the full eight weeks.
Exercises done between sessions that apply each idea to your own life.
Each week builds on the last, from where you are now to a named mission.
For people who want pace and guidance, the live course gives more structure. The book alone suits readers who prefer to work at their own speed. Both are compared below on the same points.
| Criterion | Preferment live course | Preferment book on its own |
|---|---|---|
| Guidance | Eight live sessions with the author | None beyond the text |
| Pace | One chapter-based session per week | Self-set |
| Homework | Built into the book, done between sessions | Built into the book |
| Availability | Listed on rarifiedlife.com | Check rarifiedlife.com for availability |
The final module, Launch, is about naming your mission for this next chapter and stepping into it. Rarified Life's materials describe the goal as having a real answer to the question of what you do, one that does not start with the words I used to.
Want the detail behind each week? Read the six Preferment modules, or return to the retirement coaching course overview.
The live course and the book were compared on guidance, pace, homework, and availability, using only what the Rarified Life course listing states. Session dates and delivery details change, so we point you to the listing rather than repeat them here.
Published by Rarified Life, the business behind Preferment. Rarified Life wrote this comparison, and it is not an independent review.
The Preferment course runs for eight weeks, with one live session each week, for eight live sessions in total, each led by Anne van Leynseele. Between sessions, participants complete homework exercises built into the Preferment book, so the work continues between calls rather than stopping when a session ends.
More in the FAQ: How long is the Preferment course?It is live. The course is described as eight weekly live sessions with Anne, working through her book chapter by chapter. It is not presented as a library of recorded videos to watch alone. Check the course listing on rarifiedlife.com for current session dates and how the sessions are delivered.
More in the FAQ: Is the Preferment course live or self-paced?The course pairs eight weekly live sessions with six modules of content, so sessions and modules are not a one-to-one match. Rarified Life describes the course as a structured path in which each week builds on the last. For the exact week-by-week schedule, check the current course listing on rarifiedlife.com.
More in the FAQ: Why are there six modules in an eight-week course?Yes. Homework is built into the Preferment book and done between sessions, and Rarified Life describes it as real exercises rather than busywork. The homework is what turns reading into a plan: each exercise asks you to apply the idea of the week to your own identity, motivation, values, or daily routine.
More in the FAQ: Is there homework in the Preferment course?No advance reading is listed as a requirement. The course works through the Preferment book chapter by chapter during the eight weeks, and the book is included with enrollment. If you would like a head start, check the course listing on rarifiedlife.com for any preparation guidance.
More in the FAQ: Do I need to read the book before the course starts?The final module, Launch, focuses on naming your mission for the next chapter and stepping into it. By then you will have worked through identity, motivation, alignment, and accountability, so the end of the course is meant to be a starting point for a lived routine. The course is not described as awarding a certificate.
More in the FAQ: What happens at the end of the 8 week course?