Early in my career, I worked at Bain & Company, a top strategy consulting firm. Bain had a mantra for every new hire: Zero Defects.

Every client deliverable had to be flawless—no typos, no wrong numbers, no misaligned charts. Perfection wasn’t the goal; it was the baseline.  At first, I loved it. The discipline made our work sharp and professional. But there was a downside.

When every slip is a failure, you avoid risk. You double- and triple-check instead of exploring. You start to value the spotless spreadsheet more than the messy idea that might lead somewhere better.

Years later, I’ve learned to let go of zero defects in some areas. That shift has made me more creative and open to new ideas. Still, the mindset sneaks back sometimes—especially in running.

“I have to hit eight miles today.”
“I need every interval at 6:45 pace.”
“I only get one rest day per week.”

Miss by a hair, and it feels like the workout—and maybe you—failed.

But running isn’t about a perfect streak of green checkmarks. Bodies adapt unevenly. Weather changes. Life intrudes. Real progress comes from steady direction, not flawless execution.

Some days the right call is to slow down or cut it short. Other days you push harder. That isn’t a defect.

It’s wisdom.