11 Superpowers Strong-Willed Children Possess

You don't give up easily. When other people quit because they think they can't win, you dig in your heels and stay focussed on the goal. As legendary basketball star Bill Russell once said, "Concentration and mental toughness are the margins of victory."

Many kids give in to peer pressure because they don't know what they truly want. You, on the other hand, know exactly what you want and go after it regardless of what other people think. You are not easily swayed by the opinions of others.

Some kids will stop spinning in circles when their mom tells them they will get dizzy and fall down. You need to spin until you see that happen for yourself! Chances are, if an adult stops you from doing it, you won't believe it anyway. The same thing goes for skydiving or changing careers or starting a business when you get older. The drive to know how and why things work will translate well into taking calculated risks in adulthood.

Once you decide on a goal, there is nothing that will stop you from achieving it . . . even failure. Resilience is a characteristic that will come in handy as you become more practiced at goal-setting. You won't believe others when they tell you a task is impossible, you will test every boundary until you either find a solution or figure out for yourself that it truly is impossible. You will leap hurdles over and over, and persist.

You usually know exactly what you want. Maybe that means knowing what toy you want to play with at this precise moment. As you build on your experiences, your decision making will become more sound and no less rapid, leaving time to use your critical and creative thinking skills.

You are self-motivated. This means you don't have to be poked and prodded to work on something that interests you. If you are into maths, chances are your parents and teachers will never have to fight you to do maths homework. You will likely delve into deep research about the subjects you love.

A recent study shows that rule breaking and defiance, characteristics often seen in strong-willed children, actually gives them an edge to succeed financially as adults. Researchers explain, "Rule breaking and defiance of parental authority was the best non-cognitive predictor of higher income after accounting for IQ, parental socio-economic status, and educational attainment." They go on to say, "We might assume that students who scored high on this [rebellious] scale might earn a higher income because they are more willing to be more demanding during critical junctures, such as when negotiating salaries or raises."

C.S. Lewis said, "Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching." You have integrity in spades. People believe you when you make a stand, because you have a reputation for telling it like it is and sticking to your word.

You relentlessly question the rules you are asked to follow and those who create them. While this may test the patience of the adults in your life, it challenges them to reflect inwardly. In order to connect with you and your unique outlook on the world, they must cultivate greater patience and empathy.