A few months ago, I found myself standing in line to pass through security at the airport. There was nothing especially notable about the experience. I followed my normal routine, putting my wallet, watch, and phone in the appropriate pockets in my backpack, removing my shoes and belt, patting my pant pockets to make sure no random item was left behind, and then repeating the once-over two more times before I assumed the position in the scanner. I don’t really think of myself as a creature of habit but travel is one of those places where the truth reveals itself.

Grabbing my backpack, shoes, and belt, post-scanner, I walked to my preferred bench, sat my backpack in the proper place and proceeded to put my shoes on, right first, then left, put my belt on, and dutifully grabbed my phone from its pocket and put it in my pant pocket. Did I mention that I don’t really think of myself as a creature of habit? Of course, the next appropriate move after security at the airport is a stop for a cup of coffee. After ordering a large coffee (black, please), I reached for my wallet, and realized that I had left it in the pocket of my backpack. Uh oh, a break in the routine.

Smiling at the clerk, I set my backpack on the counter, went to unzip the pocket where I had placed my wallet, and found the zipper stuck. Smiling a bit more intently, I said, “Excuse me a moment,” as I gripped the zipper and gave a few tugs. The zipper would not budge. The line, now five people deep, peered around at me as I realized that this was going to be a problem. A few more tugs and I exited the line to attack the zipper at a nearby table. My routine now completely disrupted, I had no coffee, no wallet, and no idea of how I was going to undo the zipper which I had managed to jam with the surrounding fabric of the pocket itself. My Tumi backpack had become an impenetrable vault.

My fingers were now numb from the effort of gripping the zipper and I felt a bit flush, caught between the comical reality of a jammed zipper and the necessity of needing my wallet. Seeing the Tumi store across the way, I walked across, smiled awkwardly while wiping the sweat from my brow, and proceeded to tell the clerk that my zipper was stuck. She stared at me for a moment but was kind enough not to laugh as we tackled the problem together, finally determining that surgery was necessary. Of course, sharp objects are forbidden in the airport, so we were left tearing at the bag with a staple remover…a strategy that eventually worked.

Finally getting around to purchasing a new backpack yesterday, I regaled yet another clerk with my story as she impassively gave me options for a new bag. As I contemplated pockets and zippers, my mind returned to my routines as the questions of use and storage appeared. I realized that I had been carting my other backpack around for about 10 years and everything had its proper place – now, a slightly different configuration threatened the equilibrium of my storage. After all, where will I put my lip balm without that little interior pocket or my reading glasses without the upper pocket?

Zipper panic now squarely in the past, I’m left with a bit of mourning for the comfortable familiarity of my backpack. Sure, it looked pretty beat-up next to the beautifully unblemished new backpack (complete with all zippers working) but I could find every last bit of unnecessary detritus stored in each of those pockets in the dark. Earlier in the day, Sally laughed as I unloaded a decade’s worth of mystery from the pockets and I wondered if there was a diagnosis for a category of “backpack hoarder.” I knew it all so well but realized that much of it was no longer necessary.

Earlier this year, we initiated a re-branding process for Northwind. Now 17 years into this adventure, the attachments revealed themselves quickly. Logos, colors, patterns of usage, “voice,” etc. Some things have been easier to let go of than others but the process presents its own opportunities to declutter, reconsider, and adjust, the patterns and assumptions that have become so comfortable. Like the different configuration of pockets in my new backpack, the process has forced me to rethink my routines – my habits – and assumptions around our business, how we communicate, and what best supports the mission.

Looking at our beautifully simple new website and the clean, clear narrative, I’m reminded of the importance of looking on the old with new eyes and continuing to ask the questions: what are we doing and why are we doing it? For Northwind, the why has not changed and the what continues to evolve, but there is no panic, no doubt in the movement forward. The truth of who we serve and the results of those efforts continue to speak for themselves.

I really loved my old backpack and it served me well. But this new one is a bit lighter, has a bit more to offer, and looks amazing. I am certain it will be perfect for the next trip, the next meeting, and probably the next ten years. And if a zipper should get stuck somewhere along the way, no need to panic, I now know how to properly use a staple remover.