I don’t know about you, but with most things in my life I am constantly scrutinizing every detail in an attempt to optimize and get more efficient.

As part of this ever evolving process, I have slowly and over time completely automated my finances. This transition happened over many years. A few automated bills here, a few there, to the point where I’ve almost become like a silent partner to my own finances. For those of you who don’t know what a silent partner means:

As humans we all enjoy reassurances that whatever we are doing is ok. For me, these reassurances keep me grounded to my true North. They remind me of the reasons for what I’m choosing to do. I call these ongoing reassurances my automated advertisements. But first let me explain what advertising is meant to do.

If you’ve ever seen the hit show Madmen, the main character Donald Draper is pitching an advertising campaign to the owners of a cigarette company called Lucky Strike. The show is based in the 60’s during a time when government regulation due to the dangers of cigarettes were having an adverse affect on cigarette companies. Draper, which all his brilliance was getting to the essence of what advertising is when he said:

Advertising is based on one thing, happiness. And you know what happiness is? It’s the smell of a new car. It’s a billboard on the side of the road that screams reassurance that whatever you are doing is ok. You, are ok.

With that in mind, I like to create my own automated advertisements. I do this by turning on every possible notification from the 25+ financial accounts I have. These act as little automated advertisements meant to reassure me that what I’m doing is working. It reinforces that the process works.

• Rent checks received
• Dividends received and reinvested
• Net worth increased
• Cash flow for the month was $…..
• Bill paid in full

Some of my favorites are when Amex sends me push notifications stating my credit card statement was paid in full, as I sit at lunch overlooking the intercostal like I did yesterday with clear blue skies. There is zero room for error because it’s all done automatically. The system works if I do nothing at all.

These reassurances although small, are the reward for discipline, responsibility and being organized financially. The mundane month to month details are handled. All I do is much like a silent partner to a business would do. I check in and see how things are going. Because of this, I know that there was more cash coming in than going out, to the penny. (And by the way, I’ve just recently automated this process as well.) So therefore, there is adequate money to pay credit card statements in full and all my other bills. I don’t need to worry. This is an upper level of financial security. Being hands off. And it’s wonderful.

My money is like a well oiled machine. My job is to make sure I’m headed “basically North.” Along the way I can see my automated advertisement billboards screaming at me that what I’m doing is ok. That I’m, ok.