The Sorting Hat Challenge: A Harry Potter Inspired Clutter-Busting Game

Marie Kondo is sparking joy like mad on Netflix … while visions of tidier spaces dance in our heads.

Well, I certainly don’t have Marie’s sparkiness, and I have yet to roll a perfect t-shirt burrito, but I do have the magic of Harry Potter for tackling the dark, evil and oh-so-messy secret chambers of our lives.

I present to you, “The Sorting Hat Challenge.”

It will make you a wizard at busting clutter — one week at a time — whether you’ve read the books or not. If you have, you know how an enchanted hat sorts the students at Hogwarts.

It puts them in their proper place — one of four houses based on their individual qualities. See where I am going here …

How the challenge works:
Step 1: List areas of your home that you’d like sorted out.

You can go with actual physical areas (the junk drawer, under the kitchen sink, pantry, etc.) or by types of objects (socks, t-shirts, tax papers, spices, etc.).

My personal 2019 list includes a mix of specific locations and different objects.

A not-to-be-ignored tip: Aim small and doable. Don’t list something that might take days like “The garage,” unless you really are a wizard. Instead, break it into smaller challenges, such as “gardening tools” or “work bench top.”

Step 2: Throw your clutter-busting quests into the hat. You could get an actual sorting hat, but you can use a baseball cap, bowl or jar you already have. (Remember: The ultimate goal is to simplify — not to add more stuff to your life.)

Do you have problem areas that you want to tackle first? Limit your clutter quests to your top three. You can always add more later.

Step 3: Each week draw one quest for your more orderly world. Then make the magic happen.

Do you tend to hold on to stuff you don’t need? You can’t see me but I am raising my hand and typing at the same time. Me. That’s me. So me.

I can be my own worst enemy when it comes to clutter. So besides a magical hat, I need Harry’s Disarming Spell. I can shout “Expelliarmus.” It forces the enemy to release whatever they’re holding on to at the time.

LET. IT. GO.

I joke about Harry and wizardry, but there’s magic in this challenge. You tackle clutter in a systematic way. You get small but gratifying wins. If you miss a week because life happens, you still have plenty more ahead.

May your 2019 be a sorting success and may all your mischief be managed!