'Rich Habits' That Could Change Your Life

BOSTON (CBS) - You've probably heard the expression "The rich are different", but they might not be as different as you think.

A study by financial planner Tom Corley found millionaires can attribute much of their wealth to their daily habits. And they are behaviors just about anyone can emulate.

For example, Corley found after studying 350 wealthy and not so wealthy people that the 'more well to do' get up early every day. "I get up at 4am or 5am and I write for an hour or two hours," said Corley.

44% of the wealthy wake up three hours before work, and then fill that time in a constructive way, such as working out or reading. "Before they even get to work, they have done some really good things that help them move forward in life," said Corley.

Corley outlined a number of habits that tend to be adopted by the wealthy in his book Rich Habits: Daily Success Habits of Wealthy Individuals. "I am not just focusing on the wealthy. I want to know what you're screwing up."

Another rich habit is to keep a daily 'to do' list, and make sure you check off 70% of what's on it.

Rich people are much less likely to engage in water cooler chit chat at work. In fact only about 6% of them gossip, compared to 60% on the other end of the socio-economic spectrum.

"To rich people, relationships are like gold so they manage their relationships very carefully," said Corley.

Wealthy workers often skip lunch and eat at their desk. "The only rationale for a long lunch is if you're networking," explained Corley.

That supports another habit of the wealthy which is to count calories. They are much more conscious of maintaining good health.

Another difference involves the use of the Internet. The wealthy don't spend extra time online and make sure the time they do spend is purposeful. That means no YouTube clips of cute cats.

Corley believes even incremental changes can reap big rewards. "I want them to understand that it may only take 1-2 rich habits to completely transform their lives."

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