Guide
Reinventing yourself after retirement
Reinventing yourself after retirement means deliberately choosing a new identity, motivation and routine instead of drifting into one.
Reinvention is not reserved for the young. It follows a repeatable sequence that works at 60, 70 or beyond: take stock, separate identity from career, find fresh motivation, align with your values, build accountability and launch. Rarified Life’s Preferment course follows exactly that order, taught by someone who has reinvented herself four times.
Last updated: November 2026
How do I reinvent myself at 70?
Start by separating who you are from what you did, find what moves you without a paycheck, then build a weekly routine around it with someone holding you accountable. Age changes the pace, not the method.
The free Rarified Life presentation promises progress without waiting for retirement day and without asking anyone’s permission, which applies just as much at 70 as at 55.
Procedure
A six-step reinvention path
Step 1: Take stock honestly
Name where you are right now, including what is not working. No plan is needed yet.
Step 2: Separate self from job
Write down who you are without the title. This is the foundation every later step stands on.
Step 3: Find a new motivation
Identify what moves you now that a paycheck is not the reason to get up.
Step 4: Align with your values
Choose activities that use your strengths and fit what you care about.
Step 5: Build accountability
Put the plan on a calendar and tell someone. Structure turns intention into routine.
Step 6: Launch
Name your mission for this chapter and take the first public step toward it.
A working model
What four reinventions look like
Anne van Leynseele, who created Preferment, is a useful model because she has done this repeatedly. She built and sold a production company in Los Angeles film and television, advised Fortune 100 companies on digital strategy across three continents, served as an Attorney Advisor in the Obama Administration and helped write Washington State’s legal framework for recreational cannabis.
Today she co-owns an award-winning chocolate farm on the Big Island of Hawaii and wrote the book Preferment. None of those chapters required abandoning the skills of the last one; each reused them in a new setting.
Turning the steps into a routine
The six steps above mirror Preferment’s six modules. The course adds what self-guided reinvention usually lacks: eight weekly live sessions, homework built into the book, a 30-day planner that translates wondering into action and a welcome package within 24 hours so you start with momentum.
Read the Preferment course facts or return to the retirement transition coaching results overview.
- How do I reinvent myself at 70?
- Start by separating who you are from what you did, then find what moves you without a paycheck and build a routine around it. That is the exact sequence of Preferment’s Identity, Motivation, Alignment and Accountability modules. Anne van Leynseele has lived four reinventions herself, and the course shows you how to run your own.
- What is a good second career after retirement?
- The best second career matches your values and strengths, not just your resume. Some people coach, consult, volunteer or start a business; Anne van Leynseele went from film production to law to co-owning a chocolate farm in Hawaii. Preferment’s Alignment module helps you match your values to how you actually spend your days.
- Who am I after retirement?
- You are more than your former job title, though it rarely feels that way at first. Preferment’s Identity module is devoted to separating who you are from what you did for a living. As one participant put it: “I thought work defined me, but I discovered I am so much more.”
- I retired years ago. Is it too late for coaching?
- No. Preferment serves people navigating life after a career, not only those approaching it. One participant described spending a few years “wandering around like a goldfish in a bowl” before Preferment changed that. The Identity and Motivation modules are designed for exactly that kind of drift.
- Do I need a plan before I start?
- No. Rarified Life says it plainly: you do not need a five-year plan, you just need a room to start figuring it out in. The Introduction module starts with where you are right now, and the course builds structure week by week from there until the Launch module.
- Who is Anne van Leynseele?
- Anne van Leynseele created Preferment and wrote the book it is built on. She built and sold a Los Angeles film and television production company, advised Fortune 100 companies on digital strategy across three continents, served as an Attorney Advisor in the Obama Administration and helped write Washington State’s legal framework for recreational cannabis.
See Preferment for yourself, free.
Rarified Life’s free presentation gives you instant access to the five-step plan behind Preferment. Questions first? Contact Rarified Life directly.