hard work

Billionaires around the world have a lot of advice to give to young, ambitious workers. Luckily for us, they're also very willing to share that advice. Here's a collection of some of the best that they've offered, from some of the most successful, and most wealthy, people in the world.

Starting Early

One of the most common pieces of advice given by the wealthiest people in the world should also be one of the most obvious: start early. Carlos Slim Helú founded the business conglomerate Grupo Carso in 1990 and was the richest person in the world from 2010 to 2013. With a net worth of about $50 billion, he's a guy worth listening to. In a letter from 1994 that he sent to students, he wrote, "Work well done is not only a responsibility to yourselves and society; it is also an emotional need." Besides acknowledging the basic advantage of starting early, which he did by buying shares of a Mexican bank when he was twelve, he frequently talks about success in spiritual terms. "Success," he wrote, "is the harmony between the soul and your emotions."

Living with Discipline

Another seemingly obvious piece of advice but one that's incredibly difficult to follow is to discipline yourself. Especially in the early stages of wealth building, the keys are to spend less and save more. As much as possible. More than you think is possible. Mark Cuban, billionaire owner of the Dallas Mavericks NBA team, wrote, "Save your money. Save as much money as you possibly can. Every penny you can. Instead of coffee, drink water. Instead of going to McDonald's, eat mac and cheese." Strict budgeting and unpleasant money-saving lifestyle choices are the difference between a money-conscious spender and a person passionate for success. Cuban also said, "Cut up your credit cards. If you use a credit card, you don't want to be rich."

Ouch. That's harsh, but even long-time billionaires maintain the need for financial discipline. Warren Buffett, for example, still lives in the same Omaha, Nebraska house he bought in 1957.

Work Hard

No-brainer, yes, but sometimes it helps to hear it from someone for whom it's actually worked spectacularly, rather than that high school teacher or college advisor. Elon Musk is one billionaire who, we can safely say, is genuinely interested in saving the world (in addition to building huge personal wealth). In a commencement speech in 2014, he said, "If someone else is working 50 hours and you're working 100, you'll get twice as much done." Not only does this prove unequivocally that he is good at math, but it puts simply the most obvious advice for success. Working harder will get you farther. Opportunities are an important part of many billionaires' success stories, but working hard is the soil from which their money trees grow.

Author Justine Musk gives us another, less talked about angle on the hard work principle: take care of yourself. She wrote, "It helps to have superhuman energy and stamina. …Make it a point to get into the best shape possible. There will be jet lag, mental fatigue, bouts of hard partying, loneliness, pointless meetings, major setbacks, family drama, issues with the Significant Other you rarely see, dark nights of the soul, people who bore and annoy you, little sleep, less sleep than that. Keep your body sharp to keep your mind sharp."

Passion and Creativity

These are aspects of business and financial success that are more difficult to pin down and, consequently, more interesting to explore. The adage goes something like, "Do what you love and you'll never work a day." Doing what you love is certainly important for achieving the drive and perseverance necessary for grand success, but no one's being truthful who says there's no "work" involved.

Jim Koch, founder of the Boston Beer Company (brewer of Samuel Adams Boston Lager), was the son of a brewer and one of the leaders of the craft beer craze. He loves what he does but holds no romantic ideas about never working a day. He said, "Pursue something you love, because a small business is going to be very demanding of your time, your energy — it just eats your life. And if you're doing something you love, then you will accept and even enjoy that." It eats your life—that's a graphic image. But his advice is more realistic: you'll enjoy the insane commitment and you'll accept the immense work involved because you love the process and you'll love the result. He continues, "If you're just doing it to get rich, you're gonna lose heart. I tell everyone, getting rich is life's biggest booby trap." The takeaway: "Do what makes you happy."

J. K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, knows the value of this and its connection to creativity. "Imagination is not only . . . the fount of all invention and innovation," she said in a 2008 commencement address at Harvard University. "In its arguably most transformative and revelatory capacity, it is the power that enables us to empathize with humans whose experiences we have never shared." The once-billionaire author has demonstrated the enormous potential value of imagination in its purest form: fiction. But its value extends to entrepreneurship and wealth building, as well.

After the executives at Apple fired Steve Jobs in 1985, Jobs began his own version of an imaginative venture. In 1986, he funded the departure of The Graphics Group from Lucasfilm and became the majority shareholder of the graphics company that would become Pixar. He helped found what is now a global leader in animation, bought by Disney for $7.4 billion in 2006. Jobs is even credited as an executive producer of Pixar's first film, Toy Story. And Apple, Inc. is no stranger to invoking imagination in its products and in its ads.

Start early. Work hard. Discipline yourself. Follow dreams. Do what you love. Exploit opportunities. Take risks. Be creative.

Without a for Dummies book on getting rich—well, there sort of is—the best we can do is listen to those who have already done it, understand their advice, and use it to forge our own paths up the treacherous climb to success.

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Think about the word, "retirement." Most likely, you'll picture an elderly couple eating early-bird dinners and playing bingo at a group living facility in Florida. But retirement can be so much more than that. First of all, you don't necessarily have to be old in order to retire. It's the period where all of the hard work we've done finally pays off, and it's different for everyone.

What's this you say? You're not anywhere near retirement? It doesn't matter. What you do now will keep you in good shape for the future. Think about it like exercise. You don't want to start exercising only when you're told to do so by a doctor, or else. In a similar way, "financial exercise" is a way to develop healthy habits to ensure that you'll be able to have a stress-free retirement. Here are a few things to know.

Commitment is the key.

We know the C-word can be scary, but when it comes to work, know that it's called that for a reason. If you're always looking for your next "dream job", you'll never be able to focus on your current job and gain the skills necessary to advance along your career path when the time is right. Moving up the corporate ladder is only possible if you show consistency.

Talk to successful people.

Have you just read an article by a young entrepreneur who made a fortune and is now spending the rest of his or her life lounging in the Caribbean? It's one thing to get inspired by what you read, but it's another to build a relationship with someone you admire. Send them an email, or give them a call. Don't be intimidated by successful people. Chances are, they'll want to tell you about their struggles and tricks of the trade. Don't get bogged down by negative peers that have a poor outlook on their financial future. Always look up, and be sure to take notes.

Invest before you rest.

Investing is not just for fancy Wall Street folks. Anyone can invest. It's a great way to make some extra income. If you're totally confused, don't worry. CNN Money will guide you with 4 questions you should ask yourself before you invest. For example, you can invest in stocks or property. We also suggest looking into a Roth IRA. For more information to see if you qualify, check this out.

Know about your employer's benefits.

You've probably heard the term, "401(k)" before, but do you know what it means? A 401(k) is a plan sponsored by your employer that helps you save retirement funds by taking a certain percentage from your pre-tax paycheck. Some companies match your withdrawal, making the savings plan even more profitable for your retirement. Find out more about the different types of 401(k)s here.

Write down your goals and save.

Retirement for some might look like daiquiris on the beach. But for others, work makes us feel complete, and we'll never want to stop working. Figure out what you want. When do you want to retire? What do really want to do with your life after work? Having clear goals in mind will help encourage you to stay on track. Then, develop a plan to save. Check out these awesome resources to help you start saving for requirement, today.

Now that wasn't so bad, was it? Pat yourself on the back. You deserve it.