1. They read consistently.
2. They exercise.
"Seventy-six percent of the rich aerobically exercise 30 minutes or more every day," Corley reports. Aerobic exercise includes anything cardio, such as running, jogging, walking, or biking.
"Cardio is not only good for the body, but it's good for the brain," he writes. "It grows the neurons (brain cells) in the brain ... Exercise also increases the production of glucose. Glucose is brain fuel. The more fuel you feed your brain, the more it grows and the smarter you become."
4. They pursue their own goals.
Spanx founder and self-made billionaire Sara Blakely.
"Pursuing your own dreams and goals creates the greatest long-term happiness and results in the greatest accumulation of wealth," Corley writes.
While too many people make the mistake of chasing someone else's dream — such as their parents' — rich people define their own goals and pursue them relentlessly and passionately.
"Passion makes work fun," writes Corley. "Passion gives you the energy, persistence, and focus needed to overcome failures, mistakes, and rejection."
5. They get up early.
Nearly 50% of the self-made millionaires in Corley's study woke up at least three hours before their workday actually began.
It's a strategy to deal with inevitable daily disruptions, such as a meeting that went too long, egregious traffic, or having to pick up your sick kid from school.
"These disruptions have a psychological effect on us. They can drip into our subconscious and eventually form the belief that we have no control over our life," Corley writes. "Getting up at five in the morning to tackle the top three things you want to accomplish in your day allows you to regain control of your life. It gives you a sense of confidence that you, indeed, direct your life."
6. They have multiple sources of income.
"Self-made millionaires do not rely on one singular source of income," Corley states. "They develop multiple streams. Three seemed to be the magic number in my study ... Sixty-five percent had at least three streams of income that they created prior to making their first million dollars."
Examples of these additional streams are real-estate rentals, stock market investments, and part-ownership in a side business.
7. They find and check in with mentors.
"Finding a mentor puts you on the fast track to wealth accumulation," Corley writes.
"Success mentors do more than simply influence your life in some positive way," he continues. "They regularly and actively participate in your success by teaching you what to do and what not to do. They share with you valuable life lessons they learned either from their own mentors or from the school of hard knocks."
8. They're positive.
Self-made billionaire Mark Cuban.
"Long-term success is only possible when you have a positive mental outlook," Corley states. "In my research, positivity was a hallmark of all the self-made millionaires."
The problem for most people is that they're completely unaware of their thoughts, positive or negative, he explains: "If you stop to listen to your thoughts, to be aware of them, you'd find most of them are negative. But you only realize you are having these negative thoughts when you force yourself to be aware of them. Awareness is the key."
9. They don't follow the herd.
"We so desire to blend in, to acclimate to society, to be a part of the herd, that we will do almost anything to avoid standing out in a crowd," Corley writes. Yet "failure to separate yourself from the herd is why most people never achieve success."
Successful people create their own new herd and then pull others into it, Corley says: "You want to separate yourself from the herd, create your own herd, and then get others to join it."
10. They have good etiquette.
"Self-made millionaires have mastered certain rules of etiquette principles you have to master if you want to be a success," Corley writes.
These include sending thank-you notes, acknowledging important life events, such as a wedding or birthday, eating politely and using table manners, and dressing properly for various social events.
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