New Years is a magical time for many people around the globe. And so it should be.

There’s a certain popular cynical attitude towards New Year’s celebrations these days, that goes along the lines of “well, it’s just another day, so if you want to change something, why don’t you just change it on any other day of the year?”

The reality, though, is that the New Year it’s a time that’s loaded with deep psychological and social meaning, and can serve as the perfect platform to launch yourself forward into a new lifestyle and a new set of powerful habits.

Here are just a few tips for exploding into the New Year on a high note.

Make a habit (and a game) of doing difficult things

Probably the number one reason why so many of us end up abandoning our goals and dreams and becoming jaded in life, is because we keep looking for the “easy way through” or the smart trick that’s going to allow us to live the life of our dreams without ever feeling stressed, disheartened, or exhausted.

Of course, though, the reality is like the old sayings tell us; “nothing worth achieving is ever easy.”

To reorient your perspective in the New Year and give yourself the best possible chance of achieving your dreams, begin to make a habit – and even a game – of doing difficult things that you’re not in the mood for, but that you know will benefit you.

You can keep a scoreboard to track your progress, or you can use a gamified tool like Habitica to remind yourself of just how heroic the process really is.

Start planning your life out on paper, courtesy of a Bullet Journal or similar system

When you search “Bullet Journal” online, you’re going to find lots and lots of examples of people who have spent a lot of time colorfully decorating and augmenting their notebooks.

You can do things that way if you want, but you should keep in mind that the original Bullet Journal system, created by Ryder Carroll, is actually very minimalistic and doesn’t require any art skills or colored markers at all.

Start planning your life out on paper in the New Year, using a Bullet Journal or other similar system. When you’re tracking things in an organized way, it’s much easier to move your life in the direction you want it to go in. And there is research showing that writing things out by hand really helps you to reflect and digest information better than typing does.

Consider actively getting help with any serious issues that you feel are holding you back

At certain points in our lives, we more or less all need to turn to loved ones, friends,  or trusted professionals to help us deal with difficult situations we have found ourselves in.

If there is some serious issue that seems to be haunting you and holding you back, make a commitment in the New Year to actively consider getting help, whether that means looking into a dual diagnosis treatment program for substance addiction, or trying a course of CBT therapy for psychological issues.

At the very least, make a real and concerted effort to systematically explore different methods and techniques that might help you out.