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What Self-Made Millionaires Do Differently (And How You Can Do Them Too) There is an inherent desire that drives people to want to succeed. Without this, it is a sure-fire way for an individual to not execute tasks to their full capacity.

By Zaki Ameer

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It may seem as though self-made millionaires are few and far between, succeeding only by chance and relying solely on luck. This picture could not be further from reality. These businessmen and women, like me, merely follow a tried and tested formula that exemplifies great achievements and determination. From my own experience, here are five things that I've noticed self-made millionaires do differently:

Be eager to succeed
There is an inherent desire that drives people to want to succeed. Without this, it is a sure-fire way for an individual to not execute tasks to their full capacity. This is accurate in all facets of life, but it is particularly true in relation to professional development. Self-made millionaires yearn to achieve at their highest capacity, and I firmly believe that this drive comes from the influence of childhood experiences. My young adulthood ingrained the cruel realism of managing culture shock and financial hardship. If I hadn't lived through this adversity, the evolution of my passion for property investment and helping others would have been hindered.

Put others ahead of yourself
Whilst it may not be believed by many, self-made millionaires are keen to see others succeed as well as themselves. We are devoted to the advancement of an economic and social environment where everyone's need can be met, not just our own. Fascinatingly enough, this environment gauges the future of our own successes, and this is critical during the developmental years of a self-made millionaire's career. If we are surrounded by influencers that do not support our ideas, it impedes on our ability to succeed.

Stay disciplined and diligent
Discipline is vital to becoming skilled at your craft. This can range from simply reading the newspaper every day before work, to making sure that all of your staff are productive during the day. My refined routine of simultaneously working, studying and completing assignments while I was younger helped me preserve the focus I required in the subsequent phase of my career. To productively invest in a number of properties, and ultimately start Dream Design Properties, it was necessary that I rely on and build upon the strict routines that influenced me during the formative years of my career.

Recycle winning formulas
As individuals that welcome a creative and successful environment, self-made millionaires frequently embrace new ideas, however, self-made millionaires also reuse some of their established formulas that have proven to be successful in the past. Continuously jumping into new ventures is undeniably thrilling, but it can also be risky and does not always have the outcome you initial hope for. By recycling what has worked in the past, self-made millionaires know what may or may not work before they begin.

Embrace the advice you receive
While still embracing the success of everyone around them, self-made millionaires are also open to assistance that may come to them. This guidance is what fuels our desire to discover and be inspired by new adventures. If we lack the input of others, we're in jeopardy of developing tunnel-vision that blinds us from prospering in the future. It is this dependence on steady and trustworthy sources for help that led me to start Dream Design Property. It has also inspired me to help others in the same way that I was helped when I first embarked on my entrepreneurial path.

Related: Planning Pathways To Progress: How To Achieve Success In The Pursuit Of Excellence

Zaki Ameer

Founder of Dream Design Real Estate (DDP)

Zaki Ameer is the Sri Lankan-Australian founder of Dream Design Real Estate (DDP), who since 2012 has assisted almost 800 clients to purchase over 1,000 properties, becoming a self-made multimillionaire. With one staff member and earning just AED 75,000 in its first year of operation, six years on DDP enjoys an annual turnover of over AED 38 million with the support of twenty employees across the company's Australian and UAE offices.

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