When I was a kid I loved horses. I spent literally every available minute of the day riding and trying to perfect my skills. Working for free lessons, riding difficult horses, absolutely anything I did it. After years of competitions I was shortlisted for the British Junior (Under 18s) Team with a horse that I had bought cheaply and I had trained myself. After all that we never made it onto the team, the horse got injured and things changed. But I felt like I had achieved recognition and an admirable level in the sport. But I was realistic enough to know that I probably wouldn't be good enough, or have good enough horses to cut it at senior level.
I had always played a lot of sports at school and when I was 19 and the horse thing was out the window I was looking for a new 'thing' to devote my life to. I had always dreamed of being a professional athlete and representing my country, but never really found a sport I was good enough at. Then I discovered rugby. I loved rugby from the moment I first played. I loved the contact and the physicality of it. Anyway. I took it seriously. I trained hard. I did everything I could to practice and improve my skills. Seven years later, I played Rugby League for England. No prouder moment than standing on the pitch for the national anthem and hearing the crowd cheering for you as you run out onto the pitch. So yeah I feel like I achieved some level of recognition there too.
So I retired from international rugby last year.... and was in a bit of limbo. So I decided to get a career and stop f*cking about with horses and rugby balls. So now i have a career, which i guess is my thing. And i do love it and I am working to improve.
On a separate note, like Jeffster I love writing. And it seems like people love some of the stuff i put out there. So that might be my next passion to work on perfecting. I'm not sure writing is a very ISTP hobby to own up to.. but never mind, i think my love of contact sports and dangerous horses counteracts it. I have a lot of time on my hands in this job so I've got to writing plenty more. I've done some erotic fiction which seems to be appreciated on the internet! And I've started a few novels... the trouble with me is sticking to a project and following it to completion. So maybe a novel will be too much of an ask. And will it be any good?! But yeah I have plenty of ideas and plenty of time now I'm too lazy to go to the gym any more so I will give it a go.
I like this topic jeffster. I feel like it is definitely a trait of mine to choose something I'm reasonably good at and pursue it to its limit. I think I have proved that you don't have to be the most naturally gifted to be able to excel at something. I am by no means the most talented rugby player or natural athlete, but i have good co-ordination and a good sports brain and decision making ability on the pitch. And I have busted my ass to work on my skills/fitness/strength because I love it. I love the game. And I did alright in the end.
Its funny how I don't feel like i have the ability to complete the simplest of tasks, I get distracted/ can't be bothered and yet I guess for example something like 'playing international rugby' was a task which took me seven years to complete. So maybe for an SP its just actually wanting to complete whatever task it is you face yourself with?