Generally, Virtuoso (ISTP) personality types are independent individuals who are easily bored. They are usually practical enough to prioritize, and they are people of rational action. But because they are easily bored, they don’t always follow through when distracted by something that they find more interesting. Furthermore, this personality type can lose interest when some tasks move from new, interesting, and urgent to workaday and repetitive. As a result, it may be hard for Virtuosos to remain motivated, and it generally takes motivation to stay productive.
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The trick for the productive Virtuoso is to balance keeping things fresh with knowing that keeping things consistently fresh is often impossible. Into every life a little routine must fall. If you’re an ISTP personality, you probably do best in jobs where things are different every day, but such unicorn jobs can be hard to find. Almost every ongoing undertaking has potential ruts just waiting for us to fall into them.
Let’s explore some ways to keep even the most mundane jobs interesting for this personality type.
Tips for Keeping It Interesting
Keep Stirring the Pot
You’re a hands-on problem-solver. So treat routine as a solvable problem rather than an inevitable annoyance. A lot depends on how much freedom you have within your work context. If you are self-employed, you are likely to have more freedom than if you work for someone who micromanages you. There are many degrees of independence between these two situations. However, you likely have some latitude for putting your own spin on things, regardless of your situation.
You’ve seen it: the rows of cashiers at your average supermarket where the majority look like robots could easily replace them. But there is that one cashier (or maybe two) who has figured out how to make the drudgery of passing barcodes over a scanner all day a little more interesting. Those few may ask for or give reviews of products. Small talk flows as they process your purchases without missing a beat. They look like they’re happy to help you get through the weekly shopping chore. There’s an older cashier at my local supermarket who always asks, “What kind of trouble are you getting into today, hon?” It may sound like a small thing, but sometimes it takes small things to break up a routine.
Consider: What routine do you have the freedom to disrupt when you work? It doesn’t have to be major. It could be as simple as rearranging your desk occasionally so that it doesn’t feel like the same stale environment every day. Maybe your computer monitor is backed against a wall. Could you be looking toward a window or some other, more open space if you moved it? Or it might involve finding a new order in which to do things. Do the thing that you usually do third first, for example. Throw your problem-solving skills into freshening up your day.
Gather Your Allies
It’s safe to say that Virtuoso personalities aren’t generally looking for an entourage or a team to run with. Independence is one of their hallmark characteristics. But that doesn’t mean that having others around can’t make your work life more interesting or help stir the pot mentioned above, even if it takes going a little against your usual style.
As someone who values rationality, you may find that getting other points of view may help clarify the realities encased in your nine-to-five. This clarification, in turn, provides you with the perspectives that you need to increase your creative productivity, as new information often provides more options to choose from. Some of those options may be more effective than your current take on things, and your current take may be begging for a makeover.
Also, even the most dedicated Introverted personality must admit that getting out of one’s head by visiting the thoughts and ideas of others makes life infinitely more interesting. That alone could add a little spice to a bland activity.
Consider: Who are the people who share the same work interests as you? If you work with others, this group can be ready-made for you. If you work alone, you might reach out to others who are doing similar work. Meetups and sites like LinkedIn can help you do that. Either way, for Introverted personalities, it sometimes helps to set a quota for meetings with others. Otherwise, it’s too easy to stay within one’s comfort zone. How about having lunch with someone once or twice a month or going out for drinks with a colleague after work once in a while? Set up an occasional Zoom meeting with kindred work spirits if your location is an issue or if it’s simply easier.
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Let the Pot Simmer
Your Prospecting personality trait is likely requesting that you give yourself some unstructured time to be or do whatever you want. So it might help to give in to this instinct intentionally and without guilt, especially if you’re a Turbulent personality type. While this may sound like a luxury to many people, it’s quite the opposite for some. Using downtime to let go of the hustle for a bit can be a powerful tool for increasing productivity.
Unharnessing ourselves from the work that we do or the expectations that others have of us can be very therapeutic and can fuel productivity. Some might argue that unrelenting effort is the key to output, but they would be dead wrong. And increased productivity has been linked to both taking shorter breaks, like an afternoon or a day off, and longer breaks, like vacations and sabbaticals. In creativity, which is essential to productivity for some people, there seems to be an incubation period needed to produce new and different ideas.
According to writer Ferris Jabr in a Scientific American article on the subject, “Downtime replenishes the brain’s stores of attention and motivation, encourages productivity and creativity, and is essential to both achieve our highest levels of performance and simply form stable memories in everyday life.”
In a similar vein, take microbreaks by peppering simple pleasures throughout your day. That expensive coffee shop latte, much maligned by budget gurus, may have some value after all, if it’s a means of counterbalancing an otherwise dull and uninspiring day. If you work at home, take a minute to dance to your favorite song, if that gives you pleasure. Play a quick game of solitaire or a short video game. Anything. It’s up to you. Only you know the simple things that give you pleasure.
Consider: Do you allow yourself time to intentionally shut down work for a few minutes, a few days, or even occasionally a few weeks? Try turning off your phone for 12 hours. Or booking a long weekend at your favorite getaway spot right in the middle of a busy project. How about picking up a decadent pastry to go with your midmorning coffee? Doing that every day may be unhealthy, but once in a while is fine. What downtime and small pleasures can you institute into your life? Give your Prospecting personality trait a treat by gifting it some unstructured time.
Banishing Boredom
As a Virtuoso personality type, you likely have some skills that you cherish and may even be eager to share. But being as independent as you are, you need some space. It would also be best to have some challenges that help you feel like you’re making your mark. But sometimes you have to create that where you can to keep your interest alive and your productivity flowing. That in itself can be a challenge, but you are certainly capable of meeting it.
Go forth and banish boredom.