Working from home most of the time these days, means that it’s easy to get into a dressing rut.  I mean no one else is  going to see me.  I don’t have to wear suits.  Don’t have to wear make-up.  Don’t even need to make sure that my clothes match.

Unless I want to.

I realized very quickly that  in this new lifestyle as a consultant  -   getting dressed first thing in the morning is important.  Walking into my office is walking into my job and I should treat it as such.  Besides, being dressed early means that I am prepared for whatever the day brings – an impromptu invitation or opportunity doesn’t phase me because I’m ready to go.

So while I may not dress as fancily as I did when I was going to an external office, I do make sure everything is pressed and matches. 

Recently I decided to do what I used to do when I was working in an outside firm by putting on earrings to match my clothes.  Have to be coordinated (or "coORdin-ated" as the comic John Witherspoon intones).

I put on my pearl drop earrings and wore them all day on Tuesday,  (They aren’t real pearls but they are really nice imitation ones that I purchased from the Museum of Fine Art-Boston a few years back...on sale.)

• Why should they (and my other jewelry) languish in my dresser?
• Why shouldn’t I make more of an effort to look saucily self-employed?
• Why would I dress better for the eyes of others than for my very own eyes?
• Who deserves to wear pearl earrings "just because" more than me?

I swear this is having a positive impact on my work because I’m working with more vigor and creativity.

Another "pick-up-your-power-and-use-it* lesson learned! 

(*if you search this blog there’s an earlier entry titled “Pick up Your Power and Use it!” that you might also like.)