How an Orlando Car Accident Lawyer Trains Her Mindset for Long-Term Success
- Jun 7
- 3 min read
By Tina Willis, Esq.
For me, training the mind starts with training the body. I run every day for at least an hour and have for more years than I'd like to discuss publicly. That hour is where my best ideas surface. I decided to form Tina Willis Law on a run back in 2012. Just yesterday, I came up with the idea to hire Orlando influencers for a local contest — also on a run — and was researching who'd be a good fit before I'd even cooled down. Most of the legal arguments I've used to pull clients out of the worst aspects of their cases have come to me mid-stride. I can't share specifics because everything current is confidential, but my running shoes deserve a line on the firm's payroll.
I genuinely believe my mind follows what my body has already accomplished. Endurance training — running, in my case, but any sustained, consistent physical exertion would do — is the foundation. It's not separate from how I lead. It's the engine.
What role does self-awareness play in high-performance leadership?
Self-awareness is everything. As an Orlando car accident lawyer, I'm constantly making judgment calls about where my energy goes — into the work, into my team, into the cases that need me — so I have to be ruthlessly honest about what suits me and what doesn't.
I lean hard into what I know works for my strengths, and I pull away — politely but firmly — from what doesn't. I decline in-person social events like chamber meetings. I'm sure I'd have a great time. They just don't fit where I am in life right now, and I have a finite amount of bandwidth to protect, including my running time. There's an impenetrable wall around what keeps me sane.
I'm also clear-eyed about my own edges. I can be a difficult person. I'm a lawyer — I have to be careful about liability, and I'm detailed about everything, even texts to friends. On a semi-regular basis, a friend will tell me one of my texts was too long and they'll have to read it later. That happened today, actually.
Knowing this about myself means I can either compensate for my shortcomings when they matter or steer around situations where they will cost me.
How can leaders stay mentally sharp during rapid growth phases?
I really do try to make every day a rapid growth day. The only days that aren't are the ones where I'm on vacation — tomorrow I'm leaving for an RV trip to the beach, so that one's off the list. Otherwise, I'm continuously pushing myself, my team, and even my husband. The only creatures in my life that don't get pushed are my cats, who are impossible to push and who push me instead.
My approach is fearless but boundary-protective. I take big swings, but I guard my sleep, my running, and my focus like they're firm assets — because they are. My organizational system is a series of Google Docs lists, scattered but powerful, some highlighted, many completed, some aspirational. It's imperfect, but it works for me. Imperfection is part of the process. The lists give me exactly the focus I need without the pressure of pretending everything has to be polished.
If I've slept, run, and checked in with my lists, a rapid growth phase doesn't feel different from any other day. That's the goal: a life where acceleration is the baseline, not the exception.
Tina Willis Law Injury Accident Lawyer
390 N. Orange Avenue, Suite 2310, Orlando, Florida 32801
(407) 803-2139
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