5S your mind: Thinking beyond the tools – Planet Lean

This article by Tshepo Thobejane explores the application of 5S principles beyond physical organization to address how mental clutter, assumptions, and habits create waste, and how structured problem-solving can restore clarity.

The author suggests that physical disorder often reflects the state of the mental space, reinforcing the idea that the physical world is built upon or governed by the mental world. Mental waste occurs because our fast-thinking processes (System 1) rely heavily on stored programs like beliefs and assumptions in the subconscious mind. These assumptions, some of which may be out of touch with current reality due to changed conditions, lead to workarounds and unnecessary waste in our daily lives. System 2 processes are demanding and use a lot of our RAM capacity when the automatic programs stored in our long-term memory (ROM space) cannot adequately address the problem at hand.

To counteract this, applying 5S to the mind involves five adapted steps:

1. Sort (separating fact from assumption)
2. Set in Order (organizing data logically to determine causality)
3. Shine (regularly collecting feedback to assess if key conditions have changed)
4. Standardize (training others on a standard problem-solving process)
5. Sustain (engaging with other disciplines and celebrating progress).

The core focus of using 5S mentally is to identify and remove faulty assumptions that unnecessarily create waste.

To attain knowledge, add things every day. To attain wisdom, subtract things every day.

–Tao Te Ching

Read the entire article at https://www.planet-lean.com/articles/5s-your-mind—thinking-beyond-the-tools