David Pratt’s summary article at Psychology Today has good advice for anyone, even if one does not plan on winning a Nobel Prize.
1. Find your passion.
2. Develop intellectual independence.
3. Take risks.
4. Find kindred spirits.
5. Work with passion.
Lots of well-chosen examples and anecdotes. The whole book is available at Amazon.
Related: How Great Artists became Great. And: More on How Great Artists became Great: Liszt.
Related: You Are the Entrepreneur of Your Life. My talk for the Psychology faculty and students at UFM.