Personal Narrative: My Backpacks

1. I choose to 5S my backpack because it had been causing small annoyances in my everyday life. For example, I would spend an unnecessary amount of time looking for a writing utensil, my keys, or wallet. This became a problem when I needed to find these items in a hurry. I also had trouble finding papers (and nametags) I needed in the main part of my bag, because there were many unlabeled folders and papers scattered around.
2. Sort: Contents that were in the front pocket included trash, coins, pens, buttons, a phone and more. I sorted them into categories of trash, coins and things to keep. I was able to utilize an empty mint container to keep my spare change in. I also was able to sort the main part of the backpack into throwaway items (red tagging), folders, laptop, and accessories. I noticed two folders were empty and not being used so I disgarded them. This left
This is important, because if I didn’t have a container I would likely keep throwing loose change randomly in the bag. I will also remember to stash pens and pencils in the separate pouch for easy access after I use them, now that they have a designated area.
Shine: I vacuumed the pencil shaving and dust from the bottom of the bag. I also threw away all of the trash and clutter.
Sustain: One of the biggest challenges in sustaining a process is changing behavior. One of the main behavors that needs changed is putting things in the bag that don’t belong there and then forgetting about them. To combat this, all loose paper will be put in the folder and reviewed at the end of the week to determine if they should be kept, put somewhere else, or thrown away. I will also remember to put items like coins and pens in the correct place in the bag and follow the standardized proceedure. I will also designate a close friend to audit my backpack to ensure I am keeping up with the procedure I have put in