---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have an extraordinary attention span. I…"
description: "\"I have an extraordinary attention span. I manage to juggle two or three different ideas at the same time, and that's probably - if I have a gift, that'..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/673/paul-newman-2526_attention_i-have-an-extraordinary-attention-span-i_636840.png"
---

#  I have an extraordinary attention span. I manage to juggle…

![“I have an extraordinary attention span. I manage to juggle two or three different ideas at the same time, and that's probably - if I have a gift, that's probably the best gift that's given me.” quote by Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/673/paul-newman-2526_attention_i-have-an-extraordinary-attention-span-i_636840.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/673/paul-newman-2526_attention_i-have-an-extraordinary-attention-span-i_636840.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/673/paul-newman-2526_attention_i-have-an-extraordinary-attention-span-i_636840.png)

> “I have an extraordinary attention span. I manage to juggle two or three different ideas at the same time, and that's probably - if I have a gift, that's probably the best gift that's given me.”

[Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He claims his ability to hold multiple ideas simultaneously is a unique talent that he views as a valuable gift.

**In simple terms:** He thinks juggling several ideas at once is his greatest strength.

Key Takeaway

Leverage multitasking as a creative advantage.

Themes

creativity multitasking self‑esteem

Mood

confident reflective

Type

personal motivational

When to use this quote

- brainstorming sessions
- project management
- creative writing
- problem solving

Key Concepts

cognitive flexibility gift perception

Questions to Reflect On

- How does juggling ideas affect the quality of each?
- Can you balance breadth with depth?

A Different Perspective

Multitasking can dilute focus and reduce depth of work.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Attention span](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention-span/) [Best gift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-gift/) [Different ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-ideas/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Gift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gift/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [I give extraordinary attention to military active duty, reserve and National Guard, and their families.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanford-bishop/i-give-extraordinary-attention-to-military-active-duty-reserve-and/)

Sanford Bishop

> [The best gift you can give yourself is the gift of possibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/the-best-gift-you-can-give-yourself-is-the-gift-of-possibility/)

[Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/)

> [“Never give a clown too many balls to juggle”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-leamon/never-give-a-clown-too-many-balls-to-juggle/)

Will Leamon

> [If you're an artist, you want to draw from real life; you want to draw from experiences, emotion, and it's something that a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-chazelle/if-you-re-an-artist-you-want-to-draw-from-real-life-you-want-to-draw/)

[Damien Chazelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-chazelle/)

> [I like to do one film at a time. But sometimes, when projects get delayed for reasons beyond my control, I juggle more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/radhika-pandit/i-like-to-do-one-film-at-a-time-but-sometimes-when-projects-get/)

[Radhika Pandit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radhika-pandit/)

> [ “Of course it's juggling,” the man in motley was saying \[...\] “You know what your problem is, Sir Grenall? You've been seduced by the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-morris/of-course-it-s-juggling-the-man-in-motley-was-saying-you-know-what/)

[Gerald Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-morris/)

> [I'm Machiavelli's offspring, I'm the king of New York, king of the coast, one hand, I juggle them both.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/i-m-machiavelli-s-offspring-i-m-the-king-of-new-york-king-of-the/)

[Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/)

> [Hollywood has a longer pre-production period and they juggle shooting schedules more carefully for each cast. In Korea, we shoot day and night without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-byung-hun/hollywood-has-a-longer-pre-production-period-and-they-juggle-shooting/)

[Lee Byung-hun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-byung-hun/)

> [If I have to make a self-portrait, I would put poetry and rebellion on the list. To be able to walk on a wire,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-petit/if-i-have-to-make-a-self-portrait-i-would-put-poetry-and-rebellion-on/)

[Philippe Petit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-petit/)

> [Someone once told me that God figured that I was a pretty good juggler. I could keep a lot of balls in the air…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-ashe/someone-once-told-me-that-god-figured-that-i-was-a-pretty-good/)

[Arthur Ashe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-ashe/)

> [The Gallifreyan balls are my favourite because you can juggle with them!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenna-coleman/the-gallifreyan-balls-are-my-favourite-because-you-can-juggle-with/)

[Jenna Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenna-coleman/)

> [When I hear that a project takes place out of town, the material better be terrific, and it has to come at the right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-holofcener/when-i-hear-that-a-project-takes-place-out-of-town-the-material/)

[Nicole Holofcener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-holofcener/)

> [Combining paid employment with marriage and motherhood creates safeguards for emotional well-being. Nothing is certain in life, but generally the chances of happiness are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faye-j-crosby/combining-paid-employment-with-marriage-and-motherhood-creates/)

[Faye J Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faye-j-crosby/)

> [You can't juggle it all 100 percent. You don't have to be perfect. You don't have to do everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-chung/you-can-t-juggle-it-all-100-percent-you-don-t-have-to-be-perfect-you/)

[Connie Chung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-chung/)

> [I'm a good juggler. If you want to court a woman, you need to be able to juggle five balls, fire, and knives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-scolari/i-m-a-good-juggler-if-you-want-to-court-a-woman-you-need-to-be-able/)

[Peter Scolari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-scolari/)

## More by Paul Newman

> [George Roy Hill, Redford, and I have been looking for a script to do together for 13 years. We haven't been able to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/george-roy-hill-redford-and-i-have-been-looking-for-a-script-to-do/)

[Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/)

> [An actor has to evaluate his own abilities and be honest with himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/an-actor-has-to-evaluate-his-own-abilities-and-be-honest-with-himself/)

[Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/)

> [When the idea came up, (Newman's Own) I said, "Are you crazy? Stick my face on the label of salad dressing?" And then, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/when-the-idea-came-up-newman-s-own-i-said-are-you-crazy-stick-my-face/)

[Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/)

> [When you see the right thing to do, you'd better do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/when-you-see-the-right-thing-to-do-you-d-better-do-it/)

[Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/)

> [In racing, the fastest person wins. It is very simple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/in-racing-the-fastest-person-wins-it-is-very-simple/)

[Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/)

> [I never ask my wife about my flaws. Instead I try to get her to ignore them and concentrate on my sense of humor.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/i-never-ask-my-wife-about-my-flaws-instead-i-try-to-get-her-to-ignore/)

[Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/)

> [I would like it if people would think that beyond Newman, there's a spirit that takes action, a heart, and a talent that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/i-would-like-it-if-people-would-think-that-beyond-newman-there-s-a/)

[Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/)

> [What we got here is a failure to communicate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/what-we-got-here-is-a-failure-to-communicate/)

[Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/)

> [Newman's first law: It is useless to put on your brakes when you're upside down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/newman-s-first-law-it-is-useless-to-put-on-your-brakes-when-you-re/)

[Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/)

> [A feud should live a full and colorful life, and then it should die a natural death and be forgotten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/a-feud-should-live-a-full-and-colorful-life-and-then-it-should-die-a/)

[Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/)

> [People like to do what they used to do after they've stopped being able to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/people-like-to-do-what-they-used-to-do-after-they-ve-stopped-being/)

[Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/)

> [We've polluted the stratosphere with these chlorine and bromine compounds, and because it's now colder, and because we have this change in the climate,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/we-ve-polluted-the-stratosphere-with-these-chlorine-and-bromine/)

[Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/)

> [I am convinced that a person is entitled to as much privacy as he wants. It should be his privilege to keep certain areas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/i-am-convinced-that-a-person-is-entitled-to-as-much-privacy-as-he/)

[Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/)

> [For some players, luck itself is an art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/for-some-players-luck-itself-is-an-art/)

[Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/)

> [I can eat fifty eggs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/i-can-eat-fifty-eggs/)

[Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/)

[Explore all 162 Paul Newman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/)

## More Attention quotes

> [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/)

[David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/)

> [People pay far too much attention to the television and they're quite literal in some ways. At the beginning, when I was playing very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ardal-o-hanlon/people-pay-far-too-much-attention-to-the-television-and-they-re-quite/)

[Ardal O'Hanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ardal-o-hanlon/)

> [Television, radio, social media. The 24/7 news cycle plows forward mercilessly on our desks, in our cars and in our pockets. Thousands and thousands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-prince/television-radio-social-media-the-24-7-news-cycle-plows-forward/)

[Joseph Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-prince/)

> [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [What people don't normally know about us is the hustle is very real, and it's sorely driven a lot by how we consider ourselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lzzy-hale/what-people-don-t-normally-know-about-us-is-the-hustle-is-very-real/)

[Lzzy Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lzzy-hale/)

> [For me, the term "psychotherapy" is limiting. It implies that we work with mind and emotions, but excludes the body and pays scant attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-diamond/for-me-the-term-psychotherapy-is-limiting-it-implies-that-we-work/)

[Jed Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-diamond/)

> [When you approach something to photograph it, first be still with yourself until the object of your attention affirms your presence. Then don't leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minor-white/when-you-approach-something-to-photograph-it-first-be-still-with/)

[Minor White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minor-white/)

> [I'm writing about real things. Real people. Real characters. You have to believe what I write about is true or you wouldn't pay any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-m-writing-about-real-things-real-people-real-characters-you-have-to/)

[Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/)

> [ I went to a mosque in Philadelphia with \[my wife\] in December 24, 1999. And we we went to this mosque in Philly, and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahershala-ali/i-went-to-a-mosque-in-philadelphia-with-my-wife-in-december-24-1999/)

[Mahershala Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahershala-ali/)

> [The Harvard Business Review recently had an article called 'The Human Moment,' about how to make real contact with a person at work: ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/the-harvard-business-review-recently-had-an-article-called-the-human/)

[Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/)

> [Let us thank God heartily as often as we pray that we have His Spirit in us to teach us to pray. Thanksgiving will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-murray/let-us-thank-god-heartily-as-often-as-we-pray-that-we-have-his-spirit/)

[Andy Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-murray/)

> [Enlightened people live in very charged states of attention, with a tremendous power circuiting through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/enlightened-people-live-in-very-charged-states-of-attention-with-a/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [We must have a welfare system that we can afford, which will mean giving greater attention to directing the welfare program toward its primary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/we-must-have-a-welfare-system-that-we-can-afford-which-will-mean/)

[Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/)

> [The director's job should give you a sense of music without drawing attention to itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hackford/the-director-s-job-should-give-you-a-sense-of-music-without-drawing/)

[Taylor Hackford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hackford/)

[Browse all 10,153 Attention quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I have an extraordinary attention span. I manage to juggle two or three different ideas at the same time, and that's probably - if I have a gift, that's probably the best gift that's given me.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Paul Newman"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/i-have-an-extraordinary-attention-span-i-manage-to-juggle-two-or/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Attention"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/i-have-an-extraordinary-attention-span-i-manage-to-juggle-two-or/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/673/paul-newman-2526_attention_i-have-an-extraordinary-attention-span-i_636840.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/673/paul-newman-2526_attention_i-have-an-extraordinary-attention-span-i_636840.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/673/paul-newman-2526_attention_i-have-an-extraordinary-attention-span-i_636840.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I have an extraordinary attention span. I manage to juggle two or three different ideas at the same time…” — Paul Newman",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Paul Newman",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I have an extraordinary attention span....",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/i-have-an-extraordinary-attention-span-i-manage-to-juggle-two-or/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/i-have-an-extraordinary-attention-span-i-manage-to-juggle-two-or/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
