Omilola Oshikoya: Idan Success Tips Inspired by Hilda Baci

A few weeks ago, Hilda Baci who broke the Guinness World Record for the longest cooking marathon became a sensation on social media. Apart from being a courageous thing to do, some inspirations could be tapped from the record-breaking attempt. The attempt has also made many people refer to her as idan. Translating loosely, Idan is a Yoruba phrase which means magic. However, it has been semantically extended on social media and is now used as slang to define someone with power and influence or held in high esteem. From Hilda’s audacious and impressive attempt, I culled a couple of inspiring tips that I think should inspire you too.

Dream big and cast your vision

Hilda Baci had an audacious dream. She is a dreamer. She decided she won’t just break the current record but would also surpass it. She believed she could do it and did it. Not just that, she also exceeded her goal by increasing it from 96 hours to 100. There is an adrenaline rush when you hit your goals and this probably gave her the motivation she needed to increase her goal. Let this motivate you to not only dream big but to also push and stretch yourself today.

Start small and set a SMART goal

Even though she nurtured this audacious dream for five years, she started small by participating in smaller competitions and won the jollof faceoff in 2021. She also set SMART goals. Your goals must be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound (SMART). For example, she set a realistic goal by not trying to surpass the record by 20 hours like the previous record breaker but chose 8 hours. She also had a well-thought-out plan that included the right location, the type of meals to create, losing weight for stamina, and so on. It’s also important to think smart. She chose meals that wouldn’t drain her. Imagine pounding yam or turning amala; it would have tired her out. 

Start with what you have

She didn’t have all the brand support she needed – like a cooking oil brand for instance – but she started with what she had. She also established her dream team from her circle, from her dedicated kitchen assistant to her PR team, medical team, family, social media partners and influencers like Olori Supergal, sponsors and others. 

Prepare to execute

She did a dry run before the main event and she would have learnt a lot through that process. She also worked out and lost weight. She studied the terrain as well. She anticipated a huge crowd and chose the right venue with the right capacity. Then she executed excellently. She chose to be comfortable to be able to have the stamina to pull through. 

Learn to rest and focus

She knew she had to take breaks and drown out the noise. There were a lot of distractions around her, from performances to celebrity appearances. These were great but they could have distracted or overwhelmed her during the process. Learning to focus on your goals is very important.

Keep going no matter what

She was tired and almost gave up at some point, but she kept going through cheers, prayers and encouragement from her dream team. She was also reportedly on her period. This could have been a major setback for her, still, she kept going.   

Be grateful

Even though she was tired after she stopped cooking and people were begging her to rest on social media, she spent time (almost an hour) thanking everyone that supported her and mentioned and celebrated her dream team. No one is an island and you cannot achieve that great feat alone. So look around you and celebrate everyone who has helped you get to where you are today.

Celebrate your victory

When you achieve something great, no matter how little, you must always take time out to celebrate. Remember that success also attracts new friends. When Hilda first started, there wasn’t that much of a buzz but as soon as she gained momentum, the world noticed and came to support and celebrate her. As people are celebrating you, celebrate your success and wins too, no matter how small you think they are.

Repeat

Now that she has succeeded and become a success story, it is not time for her to say she has arrived. The next thing would be for her to set a new goal. We look forward to seeing what Hilda Baci does next. I also look forward to your own success. 

I hope this inspires you to set and achieve some idan success moves.