Right now, I’m wearing a pair of tan khakis, a tan, long-sleeved tee-shirt topped with an old grey zip-up sweater. A pair of Chukka boots are protecting my feet from the cool floor. I dress in similar attire each day before sitting at the desk to write or correspond.
There is no mandatory reason for me to get dressed for work, because I’m retired from my career. I also write very early in the mornings, long before the rest of the town begins the daily commute. I could just as well sit at the desk wearing pajamas, or baggy sweatpants and old hoodie–but I don’t.
Getting dressed for work is a pleasant ritual I do each morning after making the bed and bathing. When I’m dressed for work, I’m ready for almost any situation. Most of all, getting dressed for work enhances my state of mind for productivity.
Certain wintry mornings I dress in warm jeans and a sweatshirt with boots. This is double-duty work-wear. Those are the mornings when I’ll write, then afterwards, clear away snow from the walks and driveway. The state of mind is the same. I’m dressed for work.
A nice part of dressing for work when you’re retired, is that the dress code is not strict. Some days, the khakis are substituted with a fresh pair of jeans. I wore those yesterday with a plaid flannel button down shirt.
During the warm and hot months, the dress code allows for light-weight slacks or jeans with a polo or a crisp button down short sleeved shirt. 
Some days I break societal norms and put on a flashy Aloha shirt. (Big guys aren’t “supposed” to wear loud patterns. I say “so what”.)
I’ve been asked why I dress for work in the mornings when there is no requirement to do so.
The point is the old proverb, “Clothes make the man (or woman).” Have you noticed that different outfits can change your mood and the way you feel about yourself?
Each day we set the stage for how we present ourselves to the public. Like it or not, we are judged by how we’re dressed. When we’re appropriately dressed for the occasion we feel more self-confident, we feel ready for success. When we feel our best, we’re ready to open a world of new possibilities.
In my own life, this translates to dressing for work at my desk. Likewise, for rugged chores, tough, older duds are best. Dressing appropriately shouldn’t be rocket science unless you’re an astronaut. Dressing for work gives me a feeling of confidence and self-assuredness. It all boils down to feeling great and happy.
After the writing is finished and the errands have been run, it’s time to change into my favorite jeans and sweatshirt. The rest of the day down-shifts to slower gear.
Ciao
The Blue Jay of Happiness quotes Charlie Chaplin. “I had no idea of the character. But the moment I was dressed, the clothes and the make-up made me feel the person he was. I began to know him, and by the time I walked onto the stage he was fully born.”
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