Live Lean | 5S your life

"sort", "straighten", "shine", "standardize", and "sustain".

5S was developed in Japan as part of the “Just in Time” manufacturing process. Its roots trace back to Henry Ford and the system is widely used today in manufacturing plants around the world. The plant I work in is no different with almost ritualistic practitioners preaching its virtue.

This mindset starts to bleed over into your personal life when you embrace the philosophy with lunchroom banter surrounding how far you can expand the reach of the mighty 5S into your personal life?

It was one such conversation with our plant manager and a lead concerning small houses, wasteful spending, excess and at what point the wife gets pissed off? For the record we don’t suggest reusing Ziploc bags.

 

Stop a moment and look around the room your in.

How much of the stuff in the room do you need? Do you really need the pile of magazines you have already read, the nick knacks, the hat you wore once, the 3 jackets, the 6 maps of Baja, Mexico or the 4 pair of shoes under the coffee table?

For the record I am a hypocrite when it comes to this stuff. My weakness is motorized vehicles. I have too many, but I can’t bring myself to selling them. I can only drive one of them at a time, and usually drive the same one. But it’s hard to replace a diesel eating 4WD F-350 with a camper. I need my F-250 for trips to the hardware store, the Harley I ride 12 times a year is a collectors item, the 2 dirt bikes, the UTV the ect ect ect. You see my point?

So its baby steps for me, I am starting with the 10 year old collection of race inspired T-Shirts and will slowly expand from there. After all I wear the same three pairs of jeans all week. Moving into a new house early next year gives me the opportunity to see how far I can push 5S Lean Living into my personal life.