With the rise of the COVID 19 pandemic came the spur to find other means of earning a living; some set up small businesses, leveled up their financial intelligence, and made investments. Corporate organizations sought better ways of doing business; they laid off some staff and hired new and more competent ones.

While some wise people took this pandemic period to develop themselves and prepare for the coming years, some others were still drunk in their sleep. If you were not one of the many persons who took advantage of the early days of the pandemic period to prepare for the coming years, you still have till the end of December 2020; start immediately after reading this article.

1. Mental Investment. This is a key investment you should make because its returns are all encompassing. How do you invest mentally?

* Read books. It is not a lie that readers are leaders. Thought leadership in an area or more is one thing you need to aim for (it holds a lot of gains). People respect and pay the man who has something to say that could help them solve a problem.

* Skill Up. You have gifts; improve on them. You know how to cook jollof rice, great! How about seeking how to make it tastier? You can sketch, how about learning how to use colors? Improving yourself in the area of a skills you possess can help you stand while companies are laying off their staff.

* Separate yourself from every toxic environment. Living in an environment with people that give you headache or heartache is not something you want to keep up with in the remaining days of this year. Keep bad energy far away from you.

2. Financial Investment. There's this quote about saving for the rainy days. That's what financial investment is all about. Life happens. Sudden needs arise. Not having something to fall back on could be disastrous.

* Have Savings. Keep a portion of your earnings aside. There is no fixed percentage to keep as savings but 20% of your total income is a good amount.

* Buy and Hold digital currencies. You must have heard of Bitcoin and Ethereum. Their values are projected to rise in the coming years.

* Real Estate. This is one good financial investment you need to make. Value of land appreciates. With land you can choose to start a farm, build and rent out business spaces, etc.

3. Spiritual Investment. By spiritual investment, I mean, draw close to God in prayer, and fellowship with true believers. It is not a new knowledge that the world will come to an end some day; either the world comes to an end or you leave the world behind. Why spiritual investment?

* Life is spiritual. Whatever happens physically can be controlled from the spiritual realm. Hollywood and Nollywood have preached this many times.

* Jesus is definitely coming back.

* Life after death. Yes, there is a great beyond. There's a reason you read "Transition to Glory" on obituary posters; it's a transition.

The coming years hold a lot of uncertainties and a lot of promises. Making these investments will prepare you for both the uncertainties and the opportunities.

*** Please like, comment on, and also share this post. Thanks.

Nobody likes poverty, and everyone is always striving to be free from poverty. However, there are some things we do that can lead to us becoming poor, and unable to fend for ourselves.

Some people do not know that the reason why man of them are poor today, is because of the things they do daily. We claim to desire financial freedom and stability, but some of our daily activities are the reason for our poverty and wretchedness.

This is why I have composed this article on six things you should stop doing, if you don't want to experience poverty in life.

Poverty is very bad and even the poor will not recommend it for anyone. Therefore, it is good you acquire the requisite knowledge to exterminate poverty. I will never be poor and I pray you too will never be poor.

Let's take a look at these six things you must stop doing.

Most times, we are the wasters of our own resources, I agree that many times we have to settle one bill or the other; but there are times when we decide to live above our means and this is the reason many of us are poor. How can you be earning 'N50,000 monthly' and you are living in a house of over 'N400,000' that is not your own.

There is no way you will have enough money to build your own house talk more of taking care of your family. Hence, it is advisable we stop spending more than we are earning and instead start investing.

It is better you don't seem to belong and have peace of mind, than trying to live up to the pressure of the world and run into debts. There are people who buy clothes because of others, or purchase things to compete with others; it is very bad, you must not live your life to prove a point to anybody.

Needs are more important than wants, because you can live without wants but not your needs. A lot of people make their wants a priority and neglect their needs.

This is why someone will choose to wear designer clothes on empty stomach. Is it not better you wear local clothes and have more than enough food to eat, than putting on expensive clothes that do not yet match your financial status.

Learn to place your needs ahead of your wants, so you can live long.

I will rather build two bedroom flats of three units than buy the latest Lexus Jeep. Do you know why? That Lexus Jeep by this time next year will already be old model, but my house will last for ten years before it may even need renovation; and people that match that class of house will still be renting it.

Besides, once I renovate it I will get more gain from it yearly than someone who purchased the latest Lexus Jeep. This is because, even if you decide to sell your Jeep, it wi be cheaper than you bought it because another new model is already on ground.

This is a perfect example of assets and liabilities, rich men are not graded by their liabilities but their assets. It is better you have assets rather than liabilities, so you can have stable means of income.

A lot of people hate the language of investment, some classify any investment enterprise as bad. It is true there are fraudsters but please there are still geniune means to invest your money, just like the one I highlighted above.

You an choose to also but shares from companies, create stable sources of income for your life. Choose better means to use money rather than wasting it on frivolities.

Remember, you can never gather what is been scattered; except you destroy whatever is scattering it. Some people earn good amount of money but due to failure to return back ten percent to God, devourers come in through various means to steal your income.

Dear reader, please always pay your tithes. Don't wait till the money is gone before you remember tithing. Pay your tithes and pay them on time.

Self sufficiency is one cause for the failure of many in life. Never depend on your own strength to achieve anything in life. If you check world shakers today, you will see that most of them had every reason to fail, but they relied on a strength greater than them.

Start relying on God to help you become financial stable, no amount of hustling can substitute the place of God's help in your life. If you don't want to touch dirty money, then fear God. Trust your Maker and He will help you.