Military Mindset: “You’re Only Six Inches From Wherever You Want to Be”

“You’re six inches from where you want to be.” It’s not about distance. It wasn’t about navigation.
It was about the six inches between your ears. Your mind. Your focus. Your headspace.
That’s the battlefield. And it always has been.

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The Enemy Isn’t Out There—It’s Inside

You train for external threats: ambushes, IEDs, catastrophic failure on target. But the quiet killer? The one that takes most people out of the fight?

Doubt. Distraction. Delusion.

• You don’t need to be tackled—you’re tripping over your own excuses.
• You don’t need an enemy to suppress you—you’ve already surrendered to comfort.
• You don’t need bad luck—you’ve got bad habits.

We love to point outward. Blame circumstance. The chain of command. The economy. The past.
But if you’re stuck, odds are the only thing keeping you from your next level is you.

The gear is good. The plan is sound. The opportunity is there.

But your head’s not in the fight.

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Six Inches to Victory or Six Inches to Collapse

The difference between the guy who breaks and the one who breaks through?
Same body. Same background. Same level of pain.
Different mentality.

That’s it.

The one who wins doesn’t have a smoother road—he just refuses to quit walking it.
The one who leads isn’t always the smartest—he’s just the one who decides to shoulder the weight.

And the one who levels up in life, love, leadership, or war?
They understand that growth isn’t a destination. It’s a decision.

And decisions happen six inches above your collarbone.

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You Can’t Outrun a Weak Mind

You can deadlift 500.
You can shoot quarter groups at 100m.
You can recite Clausewitz, Sun Tzu, and the Ranger Creed from memory.

But if you flinch when it’s time to take responsibility…
If you fold under stress because your inner voice still whispers you’re not good enough…
If you run from challenge and call it strategy…

Then it doesn’t matter. You’re six inches too far.

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Mindset Is a Weapon System

Treat your mind like you treat your rifle:

• Clean it daily.
• Test it under pressure.
• Know how it performs when the plan breaks.
• And for the love of all that’s holy—don’t let it jam when lives are on the line.

You can sharpen your body, your resume, your image. But if your brain is filled with clutter, fear, or ego, you’re still not combat-ready. You’re a liability—to your team, and to yourself.

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Final Word: Close the Gap

Everyone wants to change their life. Few want to change their mindset.
But you’re six inches away from everything you want: the relationship, the promotion, the breakthrough, the purpose.

So adjust your grip. Refocus your aim.
And clear the space between your ears.

Because in the end, the only thing holding you back isn’t out there.
It’s right above your shoulders.
It’s only six inches from wherever you want to be.

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Charles Faint served over 27 years in the US Army, which included seven combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan with various Special Operations Forces units and two stints as an instructor at the United States Military Academy at West Point. He also completed operational tours in Egypt, the Philippines, and the Republic of Korea and earned a Doctor of Business Administration from Temple University as well as a Master of Arts in International Relations from Yale University. He is the owner of The Havok Journal, and the views expressed herein are his own and do not reflect those of the US Government or any other person or entity.

As the Voice of the Veteran Community, The Havok Journal seeks to publish a variety of perspectives on a number of sensitive subjects. Unless specifically noted otherwise, nothing we publish is an official point of view of The Havok Journal or any part of the U.S. government.