What’s Your Call Sign?
This week, the software company I consult on sent me a knapsack (or backpack, if you will) and I cannot overstate how exciting this was for me.
Not because it’s fancy. Not (just) because it’s branded, but because it is deeply on brand. I’m always playing silly games with my friends like -
If you were a fruit, what fruit would you be?
If you were in Top Gun, what would your call sign be?
My call sign? Knapsack.
Partly because I am always wearing one, (conferences, hikes, walking around town,) mostly because I am always prepared.
I describe my look as “Camp Counsellor Chic”
I do not care if I look slightly (or more than slightly) ridiculous.
I do care if I don’t have what I need.
Snacks? Yes. Water? Always.
Remarkable Notebook? Can’t function without it.
Extra charger? Of course.
Random cable that might come in handy? You know it.
I like having things close. I like optionality. I like not being caught off guard.
The knapsack is not an accessory, it’s a philosophy.
Embracing my Philosophy
I used to be envious of women who always looked put together, who were able to effortlessly navigate through the world with a tiny purse, clutch or (gasp) no carrying accessories of any kind. It took a while for me to accept and embrace that it just wasn’t going to be me.
However, once I accepted that I will always be wearing comfortable shoes, wearing a knapsack and likely have a sweatshirt tied around my waist, I was able to enjoy it more and dig deeper into why I wanted to be so prepared.
Realizing, I was obsessed with improving and optimizing my day, being ready for anything.
It lead to me reading more, listening to more audiobooks, writing more and generally trying to go deeper on understanding myself and my motivations.
What’s Your Call Sign?
This got me thinking. We all have a call sign, whether we’ve named it or not.
Maybe you’re:
Radar – always sensing what’s coming next, even without details.
Wildcard – unpredictable, but often brilliant.
Wolf – team-oriented, strong sense of loyalty.
Remix – takes what exists and makes it better.
Squirrel – easily distracted, but always finds the important stuff eventually.
It’s a fun, slightly silly exercise, but it can be extremely rewarding. Even better, if you have the fortitude for it, play it with friends and find out what call sign they would assign you. You might learn something unexpected about yourself.
At the very least, if you have assigned yourself one - let me know!
