The Matt King Show, Ep. 041: "New Year Goals Fail for THIS Brutal Reason" (Solo Episode)
Podcast: The Matt King Show | Host: Matt King (Gobundance)
Date: January 6, 2026
Episode Context: In this solo episode, Matt King explores why New Year’s goals so often fail and shares his 5-step, personal framework for not just setting meaningful goals, but actually achieving them. Drawing on over a decade of experience, Matt delivers hard truths, actionable steps, and candid personal stories to inspire listeners to make the most of the year ahead.
Episode Overview
Matt King argues most people’s New Year goals fail because ambition is mistaken for action and planning. He attributes the real difference between dreamers and achievers to having a crystal clear, actionable plan. Through this episode, Matt breaks down his five-part framework—developed from his own successes and setbacks—to help anyone, regardless of background, give real power and momentum to their goals for the year ahead.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Reflection and Grounding in Gratitude
[01:35]
- Matt insists that before any forward planning, we must look back and celebrate the past year's moments.
- Tip: Use your smartphone’s camera roll to visually relive and document each month, focus on what made you feel grateful and proud.
- Keep a journal: Let your thoughts and feelings from the year flow onto paper—focusing on small and big moments.
- Notable Quote:
"Most people, I think, are actually sleepwalking through life because they don’t spend time reflecting on how truly epic their life is." – Matt King [05:50]
- Big or small, these memories are “the precious moments that truly matter.”
- Even casual, funny family memories—like a “holiday concert where your kid just sat onstage picking their nose”—deserve reflection.
2. Radical Truth-Telling and the Annual Audit
[13:15]
- After gratitude, Matt encourages a hard, honest audit of the past year. Where did you “choose comfort over growth”? What did you tolerate that your future self will resent?
- The ego makes excuses—beware! Matt credits Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday for teaching him to leave defensiveness at the door and be curious, not judgmental, about our failures.
- Notable Quote:
“If you let pride sneak in and start to justify your lack of progress, five years from now you will be sitting in the same damn seat... asking yourself, what do I have to do to truly change?” – Matt King [19:05]
- Separate progress from pride. The audit isn’t about blame, but clarity.
3. Setting a Yearly Theme—Your Personal Filter
[23:05]
- Matt urges listeners to set a "theme" for the year, akin to a mission statement or brand slogan (e.g., Nike’s “Just Do It”).
- For 2026, Matt’s personal theme is “for the brand”—meaning every decision gets filtered by how it supports his values and identity.
- Tips for Success:
- When in doubt about your theme, try prompts or even ChatGPT for suggestions.
- The theme helps you say “no”—no excuses needed: “No is a complete sentence.” [32:10]
- Notable Quote:
"If it is not in alignment with the theme, then our answer can easily be no... nothing more and nothing less." [33:45]
4. Dream Without Limits—Cathedral Effect
[36:40]
- Matt describes the “Cathedral Effect”: thinking big and creative in spaces with high ceilings (literal or metaphorical). Avoid the closet or crammed offices; go somewhere inspiring.
- Eliminate distractions: “Blank paper, no phone, no family, no guidance—just pure, open-ended dreaming.”
- Start with: “What has to be true such that 12 months from now, I’ll sit here saying, ‘Damn, that was epic’?” Write without limitations or self-judgment.
5. Specific, Measurable Goal Setting—Turning Dreams Into Plans
[44:01]
-
Matt lays out his goal-setting process:
- Create a mind map with “2026” at the center, underlined by your theme.
- Identify 7 “gardens” (areas) of life:
- Family, friends, relationships
- Physical nutrition, health
- Spiritual and contribution
- Intellectual and education
- Lifestyle and adventure
- Environment and tribe
- Personal financial goals
- Brainstorm intentions for each area, then “boil them down to goals”—put a number on everything, aiming for 85% goals, 15% intentions.
-
Crucial Insight:
“Most people set intentions, thinking they’re setting goals, and then are disappointed they don’t achieve what they wanted... Intentions can’t actually be achieved—success around intentions is 100% driven by judgment.” [52:20]
-
Translate intentions into measurable, achievable actions: “Get healthier” → “313 workouts”; “See Grandma more” → “Lunch with Grandma three times.”
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Leave oil in the engine: Don’t set yourself up for all-or-nothing failure (e.g., “pray 365 times” means one miss = failure; instead, set 350 prayers to allow for life’s interruptions).
-
Story Highlight ([48:30]):
Matt credits mentors who taught him to "weed the garden of the mind" and recommends As a Man Thinketh and Think and Grow Rich as life-changing reads.
Matt’s Goal-Setting Tricks
- Review Goals Frequently:
- Set a goal for how often to review your goals (start with monthly, aim for weekly or more if possible).
- Have ‘Spirit Drivers’:
- Include inspiring or joyful goals as reward motivators (“play Augusta”; “family vacation”; “buy a giraffe”).
- Do Something That Scares You:
- Annually challenge yourself with something intimidating (e.g., Matt’s 2026 goal: run a 100-mile race without specific training [01:16:55]).
- Notable Quote:
“After sitting on the back of a bull—almost a 2,000-pound animal that literally wants nothing more than to get you off its back and kill you—everything else becomes easy and irrelevant.” [01:19:10]
Practical Steps and Final Advice
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Track and Engage: Print and glue goals into a physical journal—review often and tally small wins for dopamine/momentum.
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Giving Yourself Grace: If you fall off, don’t self-punish. “The only difference between a rut and a grave is how long you choose to stay there.” Just re-engage!
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Changing Goals: Only permissible if you die or your priorities/the theme change (not because of difficulty); otherwise, persevere.
-
Notable Quote:
“If you don’t have a vision for your life, the first person you meet every day will give you theirs... most often, that’s your phone. And even more shockingly, the first person you meet is some sort of ad.” [01:25:35]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On the power of review:
“Have goals for your life. Because if you don’t have a vision for your life, the first person you meet every day will give you theirs.” [01:25:35] - On defaulting to gratitude:
“If we don’t stop and embrace those moments, they pass us by and we forget about them. And then we lose sight of what truly matters...” [07:20] - On the importance of environment & tribe:
“Your environment is nurturing your outcomes... you have the power to actually change that environment.” [01:02:40]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- [00:00-01:35] — Opening and thesis: why most people fail at New Year’s goals
- [01:35-13:15] — Step 1: Reflecting with gratitude (camera roll, journaling)
- [13:15-23:05] — Step 2: Telling the truth, annual audit, and ego
- [23:05-36:40] — Step 3: Setting a yearly theme/personal filter
- [36:40-44:01] — Step 4: Dreaming without ceilings (Cathedral Effect)
- [44:01-52:20] — Step 5: Goal setting—mind mapping, areas of life, turning intentions into goals
- [52:20-01:16:55] — Measurable goals, “oil in the engine,” tips from mentors
- [01:16:55-01:24:05] — Goal review routines, spirit drivers, scary challenges
- [01:24:05-End] — Momentum, grace when you lose steam, closing challenge and call to action
In Matt’s Own Words
- On why this works for anyone:
“If these five steps work for me, a college dropout, a kid who has been counted down and counted out… there is no doubt in my mind they will work for you.” [03:14]
- Encouragement to share:
“Dare you to share this with a friend who has been stuck, who has complained, and who you’re annoyed by. Yeah, that sounds mean, but we all got that friend... Share this with them.”
How to Get Matt’s Goal Template
Reach out to Matt on Instagram [@KingATX] with a DM for his personal goal-setting template or for help reframing intentions into goals.
Summary:
Matt King’s five-part framework—reflecting with gratitude, auditing with honesty (ego aside), setting a theme, dreaming big in the right environment, and distilling intentions into measurable goals—is designed to break the cycle of failed New Year’s resolutions. His emphasis on frequent engagement, grace in setbacks, and tying goals to a personal theme offers a blueprint for lasting change that’s accessible to anyone. “You are only one year away from living a life you once only dreamed of. Why the hell wouldn’t it be you?”