You can very gently- before soaking them- scrape down the sharp edge of the seed with a very sharp knife. Just a tiny bit. The sharper edge is where the root will pop out. Scraping it helps weaken the shell and lets it absord moisture faster.
Seeds are 'good' for 5 years and after that they just have a lower germ rate or slower 'pop' decreasing ~10%/year. You could just let them pop on their own actually if you have the patience!