(#181) The Goal for 2026: Having Better Conversations

This is the first episode of 2026 — and it sets the tone for everything that comes next.

In this solo episode of Kyle Talks, Kyle lays out a simple but ambitious goal for the year ahead: bring back the art of conversation.

Not perfect conversations.
 Not easy conversations.
 Real conversations.

Whether your goal this year is personal growth, rebuilding confidence, learning discipline, or simply connecting better with people around you, this episode is an invitation to step forward — together.

In this episode, Kyle reflects on:

• Why goals mean nothing without action
 • How having better conversations is a form of discipline
 • Why understanding does not require agreement
 • The role of emotion in disagreement — and how to handle it
 • When it’s healthy to walk away from a conversation
 • Why casual conversations matter just as much as serious ones
 • How self-control changes the tone of dialogue
 • What it means to listen in a culture that rewards shouting
 • Why Kyle Talks exists — and where it’s headed in 2026

This episode isn’t about being right.
 It’s about being present, curious, and human.

Kyle challenges listeners to take responsibility for the conversations they’re part of — at home, online, at work, and in the world — and reminds us that changing culture doesn’t start with institutions. It starts with people choosing to talk.

A question for listeners:

What’s one conversation you’ve been avoiding — and what would it look like to approach it with honesty and self-control?

The Mission for 2026

Kyle Talks is about talking to people again.
 Agreeing. Disagreeing. Laughing. Listening.
 Building connection without dehumanization.

This year is about showing up imperfectly and continuing anyway.

If this episode resonated with you, consider leaving a review or sharing it with someone you’d like to have a better conversation with. Invite them to the table.

Let’s talk.

Social Media:

Insta/X: kyleTHEhorton

Youtube: Kyletalkss

Tiktok: KyleTalkss

Intro: Head In The Clouds by Matthew Morelock

Outro: Surfaces Type Beat - Jellyfish Beats

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:27

2026. Welcome one. Welcome all. We are here. We are in the new year, and I'm so glad to be talking. We made it. We made it. We went through the year. We got here. 2025 had its different things. We're here. And I'm excited you listening to this episode. You clicked on it with me, and we're here together. Wow. How was your new year's Eve, by the way? Are you a big New Year's Eve planner or not? Um, I'm not. I do not like, I don't know. I've never been a New Year's guy. Like, I've when I was younger, I stayed up. Hits 12. Yay, New Year. Yeah, I'd rather not, you know, like I don't really care. But teach their own, I get it. I get the hype because it's a new year, party, have fun. I get it. It's just not my thing. That's all. But I what is my thing is talking to you guys and talking to people and hearing people. And I am so excited. We get to do that for this. I'm I'm literally recording this on day one of the new year, so I can start the new year by recording a new episode. Uh, a little later than I'd like to record. I like to usually get things prepared in a week in advance. But I want to I want to start the year off with the podcast and finish it with the podcast. And here we are, January 1, 2026. We are here, and I'm talking with you guys, and I couldn't be more blessed. 2025 was great for the podcast. We grew, we hit rankings, we start to get some steam. Now for 2026, the goal is capitalizing off that steam and making sure we have more. Literally, I want to talk to anyone and everyone, bring them on the podcast, talk to them, have fun where they line, where I line, how we have how can we have productive model conversations? That's all the goal for 2026. Capitalizing on the momentum that we saw for sure towards the end of 2025 and coming to 2026 and just yeah, making the most out of that. I'm excited. I'm excited to be here. I'm excited to talk to you guys. We um also you're not gonna see this until next week. So this is coming out on the first Saturday of the year. This episode um will come out. The episode I'm talking about will come out one week after this. The next episode to come out after this will be our first guest interview of 2026, and it's our first video podcast. So it's all recorded. We have the video, we have the audio. Um, if you want to check that out, that's gonna be up next week. So stay tuned for that. Um, that conversation is with Adam Swart, who is the CEO of Crowds on Demand. He pays people to protest. We get into it. Um, that's such a great, I know I'm like spoiling it. I don't know. We had such a good conversation, and I'm really excited for you guys to listen to it and see it on YouTube and see it there. So if you don't follow me on Kyle Talks on YouTube, go over there where you can watch and listen and see in person um this audio podcast and video podcast. It's really good. Adam's a really great guy, it was a fantastic conversation. Um, so please keep that on your radar. It's the next episode after this, it's gonna be really good, really good. I'm excited. Um, and just to say that this is where the podcast is starting. We have the second episode of 2026 is a guest interview video, which I can't wait to put out. And we're just have more of those already in the calendar. I'm recording one a few days after this episode comes out. Um, so it's just like, man, God's good. There's momentum, people want to have conversations. We're having those conversations, and it's just going well. Um, I'm just very appreciative and I'm really excited to where it's where Kyle talks, the podcast and conversations are gonna go in 2026. I don't expect it to dominate culture, not yet, at least, but we're making our impact there, and I'm super, super grateful um for that. And I'm grateful for you guys for wanting to be a part of the conversation. I know a lot of us we disagree on a lot of things. Praise God. We shouldn't agree on everything, but man, we still have had great conversations. Thank you guys so much, really. Um, yeah, I'm I feel like I'm gonna get, yeah, yeah. I'm just getting, I'm just showing I'm really excited where the podcast is going. And we have a lot of good things coming up. So stay tuned for that. Big year. Um, and also before we jump into our boss segment, if you'd like to contribute to the podcast growing and invite more people to this conversation, go ahead and leave a review. Um, that is amazingly helpful. Leave a review, pause the podcast now. Go leave a review on wherever you're Apple on leave a review on whatever you're listening, Apple, Spotify, Podify, uh, podio, um, YouTube, leave a like. Wherever you're listening, go ahead and leave a review, um, comment, say something nice, or mean, I guess, whatever is in your heart. Um, that will just help us grow um and really bring more people to the conversation. I'd appreciate you guys. That's like the best way, number one way. I prefer that you guys help is just get more of the word out there. And thank you guys for being a part of this conversation. We have great things planned for Cal Talks this year, 2026, and I'm looking forward to it, and I hope that you're looking forward to it too. With that, um, this episode, as you guys know, if you don't know, before we jump into the main topic, which you see the title, before we jump into every episode, um, we do something called the boss segment. If this is your first time here, you're wondering, Kyle, what's the boss segment? It's our before opening show. Um, it's that this podcast is all about. You see what I did there, boss, before opening show? You see what I did there? You did okay. Um, but this podcast is all about having conversation with people, talking with people, um, reaching across the aisle, having conversations and all those good things. And I would be a charlatan, a scam artist, uh, any other word that's synonymous with those, if I didn't have an opportunity for me and you to have a conversation, because that's what this podcast is all about. So if you would like to send in your questions, send them into Kyle Talkspodcast at gmail.com and put boss B-O-S-S in the subject line. Um, if you'd like your question to be read on air. Um, now the question could be about anything. Um, it can be about something serious or something unserious. I is I am full transparency. I am 28 years young. I don't know what I don't know yet. I'm still building, I'm still learning. That said, this is not like Kyle has all the answers. I don't. Um very clear, I don't know what I don't know yet. Um, but as opportunities like, hey, I just want to talk to a friend. When you talk to a friend, more than half the time, you may love them to death, but they do not have the answer. But guess what? There's sit, they'll sit down with you and do their best to build to listen for sure. And if they have anything to add, they'll add it, but they'll listen. Um, and they'll have a conversation. We we like talking to people around here. So um send in those questions, keep that in mind. And today's question comes from Mark. Let's read it. Sorry, Mark. This one comes from Chris, actually. Sorry, Mark. Uh, yours is I guess you know now. Now no, yours is being read next week. Um, but this one comes from Chris, and it goes, happy 2026. Even though I'm writing this in December of 2025, um, Kyle talks. I found you guys recently through good pods. Hey, hey, thanks, Chris. Uh, thanks for good pods. We're um I like good pods. We rank very well on good pods. We have conversations, they're good people. Good people, good product. Um, good pods, let's have a conversation. Uh, but yeah, and Chris. Um, Chris, hey Kyle, how you going? Um, I've really found your good pods, and I really have been enjoying what I've been hearing lately. I am also a Christian, but I also found that your content is good as as I don't really engage people who don't believe like me. And after having conversations with you, I think that may not be the right move. Amen, brother. Um, I want to clarify, and I don't think it's the right move in the fact that I am like opening myself up to what they believe. I believe it's the wrong move because I'm presenting the Christian, I only talk with Christians, and that's definitely not what my Lord and Savior modeled. So thank you for that. It's a process, but I'm just listening to your episode, so bear with me. Heard, heard, heard, heard, heard. Got you, got you, got you. Um, that all said, here's my question. I'm working on discipline and focus for this year or next year, um, in 2026, but I'm worried that chasing goals might make me less patient or compassionate with others. My question is how do you grow, stay driven, and still show up as a good listener and human being while in the pursuit of your own goals? Thanks so much, uh uh Kyle. I look forward to 2026 and what you got going on. All of blessings from the most high. Amen, Chris. Hey, hey, blessings. Um, again, you don't have to be a Christian to listen to the show. I am a Christian. I talked about that. I'm open with that. Um, but I want to talk to everyone. Um, so thanks, Chris, for sending in. And he found me on Glip Pods. That's awesome. Um, so thank you for listening and all those things. Here's what I'll tell you. As someone who in 2025 I spent chasing goals. In 2025, I actually hit my goals, you know, not trying to flex, I guess, but I don't mean it. But I hit my goals. I just set my 2026 goals as well. I have them in my notes. I can't remember me everywhere I go. Um, but this is how you do it. But I'm worried that chasing goals might make me less patient and compassionate with others. Um, I appreciate you being honest. Uh, this this one for me, how this is how I learned, maybe be helpful for you for you too. Um don't, don't, don't like don't care where other people are. They're living their life, you're living your life. Actually, I've noticed through my own life, and this is a personal experience, that when I'm disciplined, when I'm focused, and I know I am. I'm not me, I'm not trying to say that as like Kyle thinks he's great, I don't think I'm great, but I know I'm disciplined and I know I'm focused. When you have that, and I actually talked about this in my previous episode too. I didn't mean for that to happen, but it works out. When you know you're disciplined, when you know you're focused, when you know you're goal-oriented, it just it's like a laser beam. You're going there and nothing and no one can stop you when you're really there. I'm telling you that from experience. If that, if that affects how you how you treat other people, then you're not as layer laser focused as you want. For example, if you're working out and you're starting to and you're building discipline, getting, let's say you look like a Greek god, whatever, whatever, and you see someone who's not, who are you to think like these crazy things about them? You know what I mean? Even if you are, keep it to yourself, you know what I mean? But let's work past that so you don't. Everyone's somewhere different, regardless of what the journey is, whether it be reading, working out, professional, coffee making skills, whatever. Doesn't matter what the skill is. What matters is your mindset that everyone is on pursuit of something. Actually, Joe Joey Swole does this really well. I I really like Joey Swall. Um, he's he does much the same thing. I'm sure you know who Joey Swole is. He's infinitely bigger than me. Um, but what he preaches is what I aim to practice, both in my mindset and what I work out. And that is, yeah, I'm on the goals. Maybe you're on a different goal. Maybe you're not on a goal at all. That was me too at one point. I was also not a goal. So I'm gonna love you, I'm gonna be your friend, and I'm I'm not gonna think I'm any better than you because I'm not. Chris, you're Christian, I'm Christian. We're not better than anyone. God had to die for us. Jesus died for our sins. We ain't perfect, he had to come and die for our sins too. Just because we're a little bit disciplined and we have goals in mind, does that make us better than anyone?

SPEAKER_01: 12:12

Nope.

SPEAKER_00: 12:13

Jesus still needed to die for us, and that's humbling. Like, yeah, I am a wretched sinner. Um, I think this works because you're Christian, I'm Christian, we share that faith. Um, so what am I trying to say? Like in short words, no one's better than anyone, no matter what, no matter how much money they have, no matter how much social uh social score, China. I don't know, whatever. Okay. Um, China number one. Sorry, I'll get serious. Um, it doesn't matter how much money you have, it doesn't matter like how much how big of a celebrity you are, how big your muscles are, how big your mind is. We're all we're all we're all born the same. And that's gonna sound graphic. We all pee, we all poop, we all bleed, we all throw up, we're all on the same field. Some are more dedicated than others, yes, that's just a fact. But does that make them better than you? No, it just makes them more dedicated than you. And I think for me that that helps me keep that in mind. Um, so yeah, that's how my that's how you stay grow. That's how you grow. That's how you stay driven. Know what your goals are, stick to them. There's gonna be days where you don't want to do it. I promise you, brother, if that hasn't happened already, I mean this is January 1, 2026. So it may not happen today. You may have that New Year's high, but it's gonna happen. I don't want to do this anymore. Screw that, screw that weak thought, screw you, go get it done. Whatever that is, right? Respectfully, whatever your goal is, if it's working out, reading, it doesn't matter. Go do it. Go do it and be a good listener. That's how you that's how you view people. And my next part is that context of how you view people. You don't have to talk with everyone, right? You don't have to inter and engage with everyone. For example, um, you say and still show up as a good listener and human being. I've answer that out of personal experience, um, but also out of personal personal experience. If you have someone that always tells you, I want to do this, this, this, and this, whatever it is, and they don't do it, but they consistently tell you that, and it gets a little bit annoying, tell them, like, hey man, I had this conversation. I'm telling you because I've had this conversation. Dude, I love you, I care for you, but you have to do it if you're gonna keep talking about it. Now it's different if there's like an illness or something physically stopping them. That's different. It's like, hey, I get it, you know, that's just a part of life. I get that. What we is like you are fully capable of doing what it is you want to do, and you all you do is talk about it. Like, look, man, I'm rooting for you. I love you genuinely. But you either gotta do it or stop talking about it. Like it comes to a point. And you can do that in love, like you don't have to be a super butthole doing that. You don't have to be I don't know. Do you understand what I'm trying to say here? You don't have to be like come off as like, oh, I think I'm mightier than you. No, I had someone tell me that. Actually, it was my mentor. He was like, You want to be rich, but you're doing nothing about it. True, true. I found that to be very true. Um, and now I'm not rich yet, but I'm getting there, I promise you that. So it's just like that is tough love that was shown towards me. And now I as I've gotten older now, I'm not rich financially, is what we're saying. Not yet, at least. And that's what I was it like all comes back to that. Like, look, if someone keeps complaining to at that point it becomes complaining. If someone keeps complaining to you, like, look, man, I love you, I'll pray for you, whatever it is, I'll be there for you as your friend. Don't change that. Um, because that's who we are as people first before anything. I'm like, you have to stop talking about it. You have to do it. You're able to do what it is that you want to do, you just have to do it, man. And I think that's advice for a lot of us. That's advice I got. And that's what comes back to the first point. We're all humans, we're all disadline. Someone not be someone may not be as dedicated as you I was. I was not dedicated at all at one point. You know what I mean? Like, that's the mindset we need to have. When I um when I talk to this individual I'm thinking of, um, and I was like, you have to like, hey, that was me too at one point. There's compassion there. I get it. Because that was me. I'm not better than you. I'm not, I don't think I'm greater than you. I'm definitely not. But it's like I get I also understand where you're at because that was me too at one point. Now I don't now that's a whole conversation of staying there and moving on. That's a personal decision people have to make. You can't make that for them. But the point was stands, we're not better than anyone. We don't think we're better than anyone, we're just more dedicated. That's all it is. You can be more dedicated than someone and not be better than them. I firmly, firmly believe that. You can have, I don't know. A lot of people in the world probably have more money than me. You can have more money than someone and still not be better than them. We've we've got that mixed up. You can be more dedicated, you can be more motivated, etc., more disciplined than other people. Yes. Does that make you better than them?

SPEAKER_01: 17:12

No.

SPEAKER_00: 17:14

So, Chris, I hope that was helpful. I know that was a very long-winded answer, and I hope that was helpful. I hope you understood. I hope that helps someone get some value from somewhere. And if you would like to send in your questions, send them into Kyle Talks Podcast at gmail.com. Now let's jump into today's main episode. That was long. That was a very long one. We're 17 minutes, 1738, just getting to the main episode, but I'm gonna keep it short. I'm gonna keep it sweet because I don't want to yap your ear off when it's just me. We'll do that next week when I have Adam and you listen to that. But for this week, it's the first episode 2026. We're getting out there. Here's all I have to say. Let's get at it. I I don't care what it is. If you want to be the best cook in the world, or just be a better cook, um, or you want to read more books or be the best reader in the world, or if you want to what else? I don't know. Run a 5k marathon, 10k, or just jog around your block, whatever it is. You have a goal there, let's freaking do it. Let's get after it, let's have better conversations with people. God's good. I there's many people who have emailed me, DM'd me, who said, like, I want to have better conversations. How do I do that? Then let's do that this year. 2026 is a full year of the podcast with steam. More listeners than we've ever had before, more questions than we ever had before, more guests than we're ever having before. I'm not saying this like, wow, look at Kyle, he has so much. No, what I'm saying is people want better conversations. Let's have that this year. I'm recording this on January 1, 2026. This is gonna come out a few days later on that Saturday. I don't know what that is off the top of my head, but the first Saturday of 2026 is gonna be focused on having better conversations, and that's gonna set the tone for the entire year. Am I gonna get it right every time? No. Are you gonna get it right every time? No. But if we keep and keep and keep on stepping in that right direction, we will get there. So here's what I want to say. Here's my um what's it called when you like my edict or whatever. I don't know. I I'm not thinking of the word right now. But here's here's what I'm tasking us with this year. If you're listening to this podcast, you want better conversations. Praise God. There's uh quite a few people listening to this podcast. Let's have better conversations this year, right? Let's have some self-control, let's control ourselves and let's listen. In this society, in this culture, it's so easy to not listen because that's what society teaches us. Don't listen at all if that's possible. Don't listen, just tell them what you think and tell them why they're and tell them why they're stupid and why they're wrong, and be super degrading about it, and don't listen to them at all. And tell and tell. them that they're stupid and ignorant and a bigot and every other name in the book that may or may not apply we we don't do that here if you know you know we don't do that here rest in peace the great one we do not do that here we have conversations we talk to people we learn doesn't mean you have to agree it doesn't mean you have to sit down and say oh I've changed my opinion completely maybe you're right no that does not understand does not equal agreement but when we sit down and we just talk to each other whether it's serious or for fun just having a casual conversation you can have casual conversations in 2026 it's okay I promise no matter what it is just sitting down and having those conversations is important maybe the casual ones more so maybe than the serious ones more so maybe because that's how we build connections that's how we just talk to each other man I vehemently and vigorously disagree with what you're saying it actually makes me maybe hate you that's okay that's our emotions makes me maybe maybe it makes me hate you and hate what you stand up for and makes you hate what you believe in. Like how could you have such a vile opinion great acknowledge that emotion don't try to I've had people say oh so you just want me to say happy go lucky with everyone no that's a lie from the pit of hell don't no use your emotions oh you just want me to hide my emotion and say everything's happy no that is not what you're supposed to be doing but what you are supposed to be doing in my opinion actually screw it what you are supposed to be doing is sitting down listening talking to each other like man I vehemently disagree I think this idea is vile maybe I think you're vile maybe I mean there's emotions but guess what that's an opportunity for self-control it's an opportunity for us to sit down and say hey um I'm gonna be an adult and leave this conversation because I know I can't have it with you right now which is very adult to do or two why do you believe that and then let me tell you why that's like statistically and amazingly wrong whatever it is you just did. And I'm never gonna hang out with you but I'm I'm gonna sit down and have a conversation with you if I choose to if the conversation is gone move on you can do that that's okay in 2026 to move on from conversations. You don't have to have a conversation every second but that is what we're gonna do this year. We're gonna sit down with people we're gonna change our culture if you're listening to this podcast you are making an effort decision to change culture to change society to have better conversations to practice self-control and just we've lost the art of just talking to people and that's what this podcast is about just talking to people and having good conversations both serious and funny or unserious whatever it is that's what it's about here and self-control that's what we're gonna do that's the that's what we have planned for 2026 that's what's coming out next week that's what things are in the calendar for that's what's being recorded a few days after this comes out that's what we're having conversations about we're just gonna talk to people again that's all we're gonna do and just like Chris said earlier it doesn't make us better than anyone because we're talking to them but that just means we're better we're better at talking than they are does that make us better no but we're just better at talking and guess what here's the beautiful here's the absolute piece of to this if we keep that mindset and keep doing it eventually everyone in the whole world you know the vision for Kyle the vision is for all of us to talk to each other agree disagree whatever it is for us to talk to each other and that vision means everyone's better at talking we're Kyle talks is not stopping uh the hundreds of people who are listening we're not stopping at the emails we're getting we're not stopping once we have that one conversation our goal is to change conversations societally in United States in Ireland in Africa South Africa in Iceland in Greenland and never in Netherlands and around the world that is where we stop once we get the whole world talking better then we can go to phase two we're not there yet but we're gonna get there because you who are listening right now care about conversation it's gonna be long hard it's gonna be very long it's gonna be very hard it's not gonna be easy but we are gonna get there you listening are gonna get there we're gonna have better conversations and guess what we're gonna have fun while we do it that's it that's the goal for 2026 that's where we want to be for Kyle Talks that's where you want to be we want to continue these conversations we want to have better conversations and dang nab it we're gonna do it we're gonna freaking do it um if that resonated you with you at all and I know it did and if that if you got anything of value from this episode and I know you did. And I don't say that like yeah I know I there's there you know it I know there's podcasts out there dude this grocery lady just like whatever winked at me bro what no way dude bro what we don't that's fun conversation sure if that's what you're into but we we have conversations of value here I know we do on Kyle Talks and so that said I if you've got value and I know you did leave a review help us invite more people to the table let's invite more people to have conversations with um let them know hey I think you might like this podcast hey I know you're looking for a new podcast to listen to maybe recommend Kyle Talks let's listen to it together let's have conversations together or podcast aside say go to that one person say hey I know things have been a bit shaky whether it's on my part or yours doesn't matter can we have a conversation coffee on me or matcha or sushi whatever it is reach out and say hey you know I know things haven't been the best I'm sorry let's have a conversation over Korean barbecue I don't know Carl Jr. McDonald don't matter let's just have a conversation do that too and then invite them to the podcast to have better conversations because man we're gonna change society we are going to change culture through you and through this podcast. So if any of that you found resonating or got a value which I know you did leave a review and share this podcast with someone um also if you're listening on YouTube leave a like leave a comment do you agree with this mission? What are some of your goals that you have for this year is it talking better? Is it being disciplined compassionate what is it let me know down below and we have a banger of a 2026 we have some great conversations coming up and you're gonna see one of those great conversations next week our conversation with Adam Cloud this is the most important thing I forgot um add and that is this when man came down to earth left eternal to take up flesh and die for he might be able to spend eternity have a good weekend be safe cover well for New Year's Eve party and I look forward to our conversation next week peace