How focused are you right now? Are you intently reading each word on this page? Or are you thinking about what you’ll have for dinner tonight? Are you carefully considering every sentence or quickly skimming through them?
How you answer those questions may have something to do with your personality type. Some personalities are known for being fiercely focused, while others are easily distracted by all the possibilities that life has to offer.
When it comes to staying focused and strengthening their attention span, some personalities aren’t as naturally gifted as others, yet they may find unique ways to adapt. We’ve explored which types are masters of concentration and which succumb to their distractions in our “Focus and Attention Span” survey. Let’s find out where your personality type lands in the results.
The Personality Types Who Are Laser-Focused – And Those Who Aren’t
Some personality types are much more confident in their ability to focus than others. We see this clearly in the following survey responses:
Sentinels (Observant, Judging personality types), along with Architects (INTJs), Commanders (ENTJs), Advocates (INFJs), and Protagonists (ENFJs). These personalities all share the Judging trait, which is associated with order and decisiveness. Judging types approach productivity with dedication, even when the task at hand requires intense focus.
Meanwhile, their Prospecting counterparts are less likely to say their attention span is above average. And this is compatible with most Prospecting personalities’ attraction to spontaneity. They may be so busy searching for the next opportunity that they don’t bother – or may not even be hardwired – to try to sustain their attention once it has already tapered.
Similar results can also be found in the responses to this survey question:
Logicians (INTPs), Debaters (ENTPs), Mediators (INFPs), Campaigners (ENFPs), and Explorers (Observant, Prospecting personality types) – all types with the Prospecting trait – agree more than average. Meanwhile, those with the Judging trait are less likely to say they struggle to maintain their focus.
Get Focused or Get Creative?
Prospecting personalities may be fidgety, but they’re also curious. Rather than committing their focus to one thing for long, they tend to jump around, letting their interests guide them to new thoughts and tasks as they arise. We can see this in their preference for multitasking:
Entrepreneurs (ESTPs), and Entertainers (ESFPs) – are more likely to say they value multitasking, compared to Judging types. One exception can be found in Consuls (ESFJs), possibly because of their Extraverted trait. If anyone is good at juggling serving drinks to guests while chatting with their in-laws and making sure that the kids are having fun in the backyard, it’s Consuls.
Not all Prospecting personalities choose multitasking over focusing, though. Some, especially Introverted, Prospecting types, are almost evenly split between the two options. This could be because Introverted personalities are more easily overwhelmed by multitasking and may strive to be better at focusing, even if it doesn’t always come easily.
While there is some variation in these responses, the majority of Prospecting personalities still choose multitasking, while the majority of Judging types choose focus. So what’s the takeaway? Those who struggle to focus can learn to adapt and appreciate the other abilities that they have to offer. Society tends to favor focused work and vilify multitasking. But multitasking might be the perfect strategy for Prospecting personalities to get things done in a way that’s engaging for them. They don’t often do things the conventional way, after all.
There must be some instances where these personalities do hunker down and focus, though, right? Here’s what they say:
Intuitive and Observant personalities. Around 80% of Intuitive types say their attention span is longer during creative activities, while just over half of those with the Observant trait agree. Interestingly, Sentinels, who take pride in their hardy attention span, are among the most likely to say they focus better on consumptive activities. Sentinels share the Observant trait with Explorers but not the Prospecting trait, placing them in the bottom of the “creative activities” survey responses.
Conclusion: Bringing Attention Span into Focus
Some people, like Prospecting personalities, may struggle with a short attention span. Others, like Judging types, tend to find it easier to stay focused. But one group isn’t better than the other. Those who aren’t as focused might, in reality, just focus differently. They multitask, rapidly shifting their focus between several to-do list items until they’re all completed. And when it comes to being creative, they can be surprisingly focused and productive.
Sure, there are times when it’s critical to get – and stay – focused, even on things that aren’t engaging. But the key may be to embrace personal strengths while making slight adjustments where needed.
Further Reading
- Take our “Focus and Attention Span” survey to see how you compare to other personalities.
- Lack of focus may be a sign of burnout. Find out if you’re running on fumes with our Job Burnout Test. (Premium resource.)
- Is Your Personality Type Sabotaging Your Productivity?
- Prospecting Personality Types: Adulting Superpowers and Projects