Caterina Duggan, mom of 2 and Organization + Productivity Specialist, is on a mission to help and inspire others to stop living in a fog and gain control of their time and space. Caterina is passionate about education and helping others implement sustainable solutions. 8 years ago she began to make small changes in her own life in order to realize her dream of starting her own organizing business in the DC metro area. She manages the Instagram page @organize_this. I love the way that Caterina uses her Instagram page to provide followers with practical steps for organizing their spaces while simultaneously sharing a behind-the-scenes look at the organizational structures and routines required to run a business. I am so excited to feature Caterina Duggan in our “Tidy Up Your Life” series.

If you want to learn even more about Caterina Duggan, she shares her business journey on her instagram account: @organize_this and at caterinaduggan.com. 

Where are you in your tidying journey?

My tidying journey started when I was a little girl. It is a lifestyle that comes naturally to me, but now as a mother and wife my biggest obstacle comes with managing my household and learning how to incorporate my family’s different thinking and learning styles. Because my way will not work for everyone, I need to create systems and routines that work for our family unit. Having an organized and tidy home with minimalist principles, allows for everyone to know exactly where to find things and helps to create a calm environment.

In what ways have you tidied up your life?

Over the past few years I have tidied up my life by preserving my energy and getting very intentional with my time in three specific ways:

1. Through disciplined self care routines and 90 day focused goals I start my days proactive and organized before stepping into my household management and professional organizing roles each day.

2. I keep my core values a top priority at all times, and recognize and edit out unhealthy relationships and activities that negatively affect my emotional well being.

3. I am consistently mindful about the things that come into my home and edit out the mediocre things that hold me back or leave me feeling stuck. I make great effort to remove anything that is not in line with the life that I imagine.

How did you know that you needed to tidy things up?

After 8 years of staying home to raise my two sons, I slowly began to realize that I had lost myself.  I felt down, stuck and uninspired and knew that something had to change. That change came when I began to put myself first. The simple act of going on a daily walk, turn run, initiated the mindset shift that was needed in my life. It was a turning point in which I gained great clarity and began my organizing business.

What aspects of work bring you the most joy?

I love to inspire and teach women the importance of putting themselves first through life organization and time management, and to transfer the skills necessary to maintain an organized home. By helping women gain control of their life, I am fulfilling a part of myself that I had been missing for so long.

How do you describe your work to others?

I am a holistic organizer who incorporates minimalist principles into organizing one’s life. I help overwhelmed moms that feel stuck, calmly juggle the demands of their household management responsibilities and work life balance by teaching time management and organizational skills. I help women edit out the things that are holding them back while guiding them through the decision making process of letting go, and encourage the act of creating space in order to find clarity.