Hey, are you a perfectionist? I know I am and it can be a problem sometimes.

I struggle to be satisfied in the completion of a Tableau personal project. It’s easier with a dashboard or data product with a stakeholder as there is an accompanying deadline to meet. However, when there isn’t a fixed end date, I can keep on fixing my viz. Even after publishing a Tableau viz onto Tableau Public, I’m identifying small areas of improvement and updating the viz. How do I stop this kind of behavior? Can I ever be content with a viz?

I asked the #datafam on Twitter for their advice and there were a variety of responses. Some expressed they share the same dilemma and some offered motivational quotes, like “Perfect is the enemy of good” and the following:

Some key takeaways from that Twitter thread, which can be found here, are

📏 Establish a benchmark

This can be a percentage of completion (like 80%), or when you are going back and forth on something arbitrary, like the percentage of opacity. Whatever it may be, determine and follow that standard.

🎯 Remember the purpose of the project

Remind yourself so you don’t lose sight of your goal. When you stall in your process, ask yourself if you’ve accomplished that goal. If yes, publish away! If not, reflect on what is needed to accomplish that goal and work towards it.

💤 Take a break

There is no deadline, so you have the luxury to step away from your personal project for a few days or so. When you revisit it, you can finish it with a fresh set of eyes.

🗣️ Consult someone you trust

Speaking of a fresh pair of eyes, ask a friend, colleague, or a peer in the #datafam community for feedback. Constructive comments will direct you towards a finished product.

🔝 Prioritize

There are higher order concerns, like organization, lower order concerns, like spelling, and even lower order concerns, like color saturation. When addressing the even lower order concerns, differentiate between the things that no one but you will care about and the things that may impact user experience.

Hope this blog post is helpful for my fellow perfectionists out there. Remember that a completed project that serves its purpose is more valuable than an endlessly tweaked hidden work-in-progress. Happy vizzing!