The Best Advice Billionaires Have to Offer

The simple truth is that most people don’t achieve the kind of success they want in life because they simply aren’t willing to put in the hard work and discipline needed to get there. 

Take Warren Buffet, one of the richest men in the world and considered one of the best investors of all time. 

His advice to young people? Work as hard as you can and save as much money as you can, you’re going to need it. 

Most people dream of success, but few are willing to invest the time, energy and discipline needed to succeed in their own lives.

Trust your instincts

Bill Gates, the wealthiest man in the world, has a lot of advice for entrepreneurs and business owners. 

He encourages people to trust their instincts when it comes to making decisions about their company. 

One of the things I found is that instinct is always better than intellect, he says. You're much better off following your intuition than overthinking.

Work harder than anyone else you know

If you think success is something you can buy, take my advice and stop right now. The best way to succeed is by working harder than anyone else you know. 

-Kevin O'Leary from Shark Tank 

-Richard Branson from Virgin 

-Tony Robbins from the Tony Robbins Company 

-Warren Buffet from Berkshire Hathaway

Never stop learning

As you might expect, the wise people who know how to build businesses and make money have a lot of advice. 

Warren Buffett summed it up nicely with this quote: There seems to be some perverse human characteristic that likes to make easy things difficult. 

In other words, if it sounds too easy, then it probably is. Or as General George Patton put it: A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan next week.

Invest in yourself first

It's easy to be tempted by the idea of buying a new car or taking that luxurious vacation when you first start making money. 

But there's one thing you should never forget: investing in yourself first. In fact, this is what many billionaires have said as well. Bill Gates said, I would save at least 50% of my income and invest it. 

Warren Buffett has said, save at least 10% of your salary. Tony Hsieh has been quoted as saying, the best investment you can make is in yourself. 

Investing in yourself will not only give you an opportunity for financial success, but it will also help grow your inner-self and improve your character and relationships with others around you!

Take calculated risks

Risk comes from not knowing what you’re doing. If you have a 10-year track record of making good decisions, you’ve got a lot less risk, said Buffett. 

If you have a 10-year track record of making bad decisions, then basically all bets are off – but the odds are that if you've been making bad decisions for 10 years then more likely than not it's because you don't know what the hell you're doing. 

Billionaires seem to agree that investing in your own knowledge is an essential first step. 

Whatever your goal, be specific and be realistic about how much time and effort will be required, Cuban wrote on his blog. 

Take risks, but only when they make sense and align with your goals.

Surround yourself with people who challenge you and make you think differently

In a world where everyone is trying to be the same, it's important to have people around you that challenge you and make you think differently.

 - Tim Cook, CEO of Apple , was an electrical engineering student at Auburn University who used to run unix on his Mac Plus before he was fired from Hewlett-Packard in 1984. Today he's worth $1 billion. 

Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, dropped out of Harvard after just two years to start what would become one of the most valuable companies in the world with Paul Allen. 

David Karp never attended college but created Tumblr which has been acquired by Yahoo for $1 billion.

Build lifelong relationships with people who share your goals and dreams

One of the best pieces of advice ever offered is Build lifelong relationships with people who share your goals and dreams. This might include people you want to work with, but it can also mean family members. 

The point here is that you should surround yourself with people who bring out the best in you and who are in alignment with your values. 

Such relationships help all parties flourish, which means there will be more for everyone involved.

Do whatever it takes to get what you want; always take action. Don't think about it, just do it. Anything worthwhile requires sacrifice.

Bill Gates said it best when he wrote, Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose. He also advises not to be afraid of being wrong. 

In the end, it's better to try and fail than never make the attempt at all. If you're feeling restless, take that as your cue to start working on something new. 

If you're not happy with where you are in life, do something about it instead of waiting for everything to change on its own.

Keep moving forward – whatever happens, never give up. Not even when things look bleakest

This could be the most important advice of all. If you are fortunate enough to have a mentor, do not give up on them either. 

One of the best pieces of advice I ever got came from my father: keep moving forward. 

Whatever happens, never give up. Not even when things look bleakest. He always said, Don’t worry about what is behind or in front of you; just focus on the one step in front of you and take that step.