I think you may have heard a lot of thing about 5S by now. I will try to tell you the history of 5S and explain what is the similarities with Feng Shui and Minimalism.
What is 5S?
The 5S concept (5S) has its origins in a Japanese acronym for seiri (organisation), seiton (neatness), seiso (cleaning), seiketsu (standardisation) and shitsuke (discipline), a philosophy that is embedded in Japanese everyday life. Literature suggests that since the Second World War, two major frameworks for understanding and applying 5S to business environments have arisen, one proposed by Osada (1989, 1991), the other by Hirano (1995, 1996).
Osada’s view of 5S: as a philosophy for life and business
The first 5s implementation was carried out under the leadership of Toyota manager Takashi Osada. According to Osada the first step in any quality movement should be a 5S movement – that is, a determination to organize the workplace, keep it neat and clean, maintain standardized conditions, and maintain the discipline needed to do a good job.
Osada’s view of the 5S concept (adapted from: Osada, 1989, 1991)
According to Osada (1989), 5S is a fundamental part of Japanese culture and society. He thought that 5S is not a technique or tool.5S is a philosophy for life and business. This way of thinking makes the difference between Hiroyuki Hirano in his 5S philosophy
Hirano’s view of 5S: as a technique or tool
Hirano (1995, 1996) developed an alternative version of 5S during the same period as Osada, but with a more practical focus.
Hirano’s view of the 5S concept (1995)
Comparison of the Osada and Hirano frameworks
First, Hirano places more emphasis on the first two Ss: seiri (organisation) and seiton (orderliness), whereas Osada (1991) stresses that shitsuke (training/discipline) is the most crucial.
Secondly, Hirano adopts a topdown approach to the implementation of 5S, whereas Osada stresses a bottom-up approach.
Thirdly, according to Hiroyuki Hirano, 5S is a technique or tool but Osada’s view of 5S is a philosophy for life and business
What is the Feng Shui ?
The Chinese words “feng” and “shui” translate to mean “wind” and “water,” respectively. This concept derived from an ancient poem that talks about human life being connected and flowing with the environment around it.
Feng Shui, which has a history of five thousand years, is a method of organizing living spaces that are suitable for the existential characteristics of human beings. In this way, it is believed that we can live healthier, establish happy relationships, develop our career from personal development and increase earnings.
The most important advice of feng shui philosophy is to clean the environment you live in of unnecessary Items. Get rid of all the items you no longer use, no longer need, broken or not working properly. Items that take up space in your home even if they are not used, prevent innovation and renewal. Throw away the old one so that there is room for the new.
What is minimalist living ?
The formal (in the Oxford dictionary) definition of minimalism reveals an aesthetic principle but over time the word has evolved to mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. This is largely because of the elasticity of the concept of “less is more” and the ability to apply it to lifestyle, art, fashion, architecture, literature, music and home decor.
The word minimalism itself gains popularity amongst certain groups of young artists in the 60s who resisted the stifling conventions of fine art (such as abstract painter Agnes Martin, sculptor and artist Donald Judd, artist Frank Stella and others).Minimalism started being used as a colloquial term in writing, painting, architecture, and other aesthetic, design, and creative fields.
Minimalist living is simply getting rid of things you do not use or need, leaving an uncluttered, simple environment and an uncluttered, simple life. It’s living without an obsession with material things or an obsession with doing everything and doing too much. It’s using simple tools, having a simple wardrobe, carrying little and living lightly.
Let’s not forget Maria Konda
Marie Kondo , also known as Konmari , is a Japanese organizing consultant, author, and TV show host. Kondo has written four books on organizing, which have collectively sold millions of copies around the world. Her books have been translated from Japanese into several languages. In particular, her book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (2011) has been published in more than 30 countries. It was a best-seller in Japan and in Europe, and was published in the United States in 2014.
In the Konmari method, there are six basic rules :
- Commit yourself to tidying up.
- Imagine your ideal lifestyle.
- Finish discarding first. Before getting rid of items, sincerely thank each item for serving its purpose.
- Tidy by category, not location.
- Follow the right order.
- Ask yourself it it sparks joy.
Being tidy and clean, which is accepted in all these philosophies, has a positive effect on human psychology.
Whether you are at work or at home, removing unnecessary items will relax you.
These days, where Home Office work is necessary, applying these methods in our home will increase our working efficiency.
As usual, I have book and films recommendations for you ;
-Netflix – Tidying Up with Marie Kondo
Tidying Up with Marie Kondo is a reality television series developed for Netflix and released on January 1, 2019. The show follows Marie Kondo visits families to help them organize and tidy their homes.
– Netflix – Less is now
They’ve built a movement out of minimalism. Longtime friends Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus share how it’s never too late to start over with less, and why simplifying can lead us to more fulfilling lives. Directed by Matt D’Avella.
-Books
