MODESTO, Calif. — For professional organizer Sharon Testo, the start of a new year is her business' busiest time.

"People have made new year's resolutions to get organized and they want to get things done," said Testo, owner of Organizing with Aloha in Stockton, Calif. "They are finished with the holidays and want a new start." Getting organized is one of the top new year's resolutions people make, according to the National Association of Professional Organizers. In addition to losing weight, getting their finances in order and giving up smoking, people vow to get control of the clutter that has taken over their closets, garage, drawers and playrooms. The group has designated January as Get Organized month for the past three years.

Testo's definition of organized is being able to find what you want, when you want it.

"People don't realize that having so much clutter around is depressing. People don't acknowledge this and it holds us down from achieving."

A common reason people are so disorganized, said Testo, is they hold on to too much stuff.

"People have a lot of attachments to their things. I'm quite sentimental, but I can get rid of things when I need to."

So she helps people who are ready to make a change, emphasizing that one has to be ready emotionally. She's had calls from people wanting to hire her to help a family member or friend. She does not recommend hiring an organizer for someone else without their knowledge and consent.

"You cannot make adults buy into becoming organized if they choose not to or refuse," she said.

She recently took calls from a woman who wanted Testo's help in persuading her husband to get rid of some items he has had for 15 years and from a woman who wanted to give her mother a gift certificate. Despite their good intentions, she discouraged them both from surprising their loved ones.

"If you try to do this for someone without conferring with them, they will feel offended and they will be angry," Testo said. "A person has to be willing to acknowledge that they need help. They have to get their mind and heart together to accept they need to do something about their clutter and their busy life."

The first step of getting organized is to figure out what is and isn't working about your current "system." Then ask yourself what it is you want to accomplish.

For some, it may be clearing the catch-all dining table of stuff so that the family can actually sit and enjoy meals. Or being able to use the spare bedroom for guests rather than as a big storage space.

"The most typical one I hear is, 'I want to be able to park my car in the garage,"' Testo said.

One of the cardinal rules of organizing is that when a new item comes into the house, one must leave.