What does it mean to be dedicated?

For the second post of this series, I wanted to focus on the topic of dedication. This is a quality which isn't often recognised, but the fact remains that hard work pays off and being dedicated to something important to you is an extremely admirable quality.

Just like my last post about confidence, I asked women close to me what their views are on the subject, but first of all, I’d like to talk about what dedication means to me. From my point of view, you can be dedicated to anything – your career, hobbies, relationships… some people are even dedicated to being an arse!

Dedication is about finding what you’re good at, what you enjoy and what you stand for and pouring your all into it. For me, I've always been extremely dedicated to my studies and that's been an outlet for me, even in the toughest times. I love languages and writing and I know with certainty that they are my passion in life, so I will continue to dedicate myself to them as much as possible.

It’s also about not giving up when the going gets tough. In today’s society I think we tend to shy away from a lot of hardships. We find it easier to make excuses for giving up on things, when actually we should keep in mind that the grass is only greener where you water it. Remember, good things don’t come easy and anything worth having is worth the work.

This is something I've always lived by, and when I truly want something I don’t let anything or anyone get in my way until I get it. That, to me, is dedication.

As per usual I’m blabbing on a lot and getting way too deep, so I’m just going to share what the other women have said. These women come from all different walks of life and each of them are passionate about different things, but the one thing they all have in common is that I see them as extremely dedicated.

Flora Beverley (Social Media Influencer - @foodfitnessflora on Instagram): Dedication to me is feeling the struggle but doing something anyway. Things won’t always be easy, but to be dedicated means that you accept the hard times as well as the good, and trust that the process will get you to where you want to be.

Kerry Fisher (Author): When I set out to become a published novelist, I had no idea what a tough road lay ahead. It took me five years, 120 rejections from agents and self-publishing my debut before it was picked up by an imprint of Harper Collins. Since then I’ve written five more books and been published in nine different languages. My fourth novel, The Silent Wife, sold over a half a million copies. Writing books is somehow seen as ‘easy’ but I write two thousand words a day, catching up at weekends if I fall behind.

Kerry’s latest book ‘The Woman I Was Before’ is available on 22^nd March: https://amzn.to/2RuU8S8

Tracie Bryant (Runs a successful dog grooming and dog walking business): Dedication to me, within my business, is being committed to my clients and being reliable. I care wholeheartedly about the outcome of my every task. Dedication is easy for me, as I care about my clients (2 legged and 4 legged!) It may often mean missing out on some personal time, rest or sleep, but if it means being able to help, then that is the reward!

Katie Scott (Campaigner for Mental Health awareness): Dedication is about constantly reminding yourself why you’re doing something, and caring more about that than anyone else’s opinions. With mental health campaigning it can be easy to get caught up in how people perceive you. But if you truly believe in something, dedication is pushing yourself to ignore all of that because the cause is simply more important.

Alex Wren (Bodybuilder and Powerlifter): Being committed to a purpose. In my circumstance, this is my training, both bodybuilding and powerlifting. The gym is one of the most important things in my life and I have to have the discipline to not only train hard every day, but also ensure that I’m eating a well-balanced diet to help me achieve my goals. I feel that is dedication – forcing me to pursue the goal to become the strongest I possibly can be both physically and mentally.

Alexa Eichelmann (Competitive Athlete): A combination of diligence and persistence, usually related to achieving a goal. Dedication includes proactively making decisions that will enhance your progress and following them through. It also involves willingness to overcome setbacks when things don't go to plan and embracing the detours while learning from them.

I hope you've enjoyed the second post of this series. Next post will be the last one in the series and it's probably my favourite one and will include some women who are really special to me.