I don’t say this lightly, but embodying my human design truly was a turning point in my life: in my career, my personal relationships, and my own sense of self-recognition. Once I began to live my life according to my design, things just started to flow… so I decided, what do I have to lose by incorporating this into all areas of my life, down to the level of my business as a coach for creatives and a writer?
This post breaks down how I approach work and creativity based on my Human Design. You’ll walk away with real and tangible ways to apply your human design to all areas of your life.
Lesson #1: Honouring My Energy as a Projector
We are not all designed to function the same way, as we don’t all have the same access to that life-force (sacral) energy that sustains human life. Generators and Manifesting Generators are the only types that have consistent and reliable access to this life-force sacral energy that we speak of. If you’re a Reflector, Manifestor or a Projector, it’s not that you won’t ever feel this type of energy; it’s just that it is not consistent. What this means is that you’ll wake up each day with a different level of energy that isn’t predictable.
The majority of the population is either a Generator or a Manifesting Generator, so much of society and our standards have been built around this type of energy. Generators comprise 36% of the world’s population, and MGS are 32% which means together they make up about 68% of the world’s population.
Most of us were not raised with this knowledge and aren’t even aware of this – we think that we all must shapeshift to fit into the societal ideal of working a classic work week with 9-5 hours, even though this isn’t actually built for anyone other than Generators and MGs*
* psst: just because the classic 9-5 work week is energetically designed for the largest population of society (Generators and MGs), it does not mean that you have to follow this structure as a Generator or MG
When I burnt out of my corporate career and then out of my business all over again, I thought I just wasn’t ‘cut out’ for what I was doing… But the reality is that it was simply how I was energetically approaching things. By trying to emulate the energy of a classic generator, I burnt myself out over and over again.
The Shift = Working smarter, not harder…
To break up with burnout once and for all, I had to start honouring my energy rather than trying to emulate those around me. I had to start seeing rest as a necessity and a strength, not a weakness or something that I have to earn. I began to structure my days and weeks differently, leaving plenty of whitespace to honour my fluctuating energy and embracing flexiblity rather than strict or rigid processes.
One of the characterizing elements of what it means to be a Projector is that we have an undefined sacral centre – this means that our access to the get-up-and-go, life force energy is inconsistent and varies each day. But this doesn’t mean projectors are ‘lazy’ or have no energy. It just works differently.
As a Projector, you’ll thrive when you limit your work hours to a few focused daily. Learning to trust this and decondition from the hustle and bustle of our capitalist society takes time and energy – but the more you can do this, the more you’ll see how naturally efficient you are. Then, you can use the time in between to work on self-validation, studying, and resting to truly hone, honour, and integrate your potent gifts. This is why self-employment is a popular choice for many Projectors.
Check out this full post on using your human design to work SMARTER, not harder!
Lesson #2: Recognizing What My Gifts Are
Your Human Design chart also guides you through identifying your unique gifts. Learning about myself on this level has allowed me to:
- Increase my self-recognition
- Boost my confidence
- Gain clarity on my unique gifts and how I’m meant to utilize them.
As a Projector, I’m here to be a guide for others while also being a living embodiment of how things can be done more efficiently. The nuances of my individual chart also show me that I’m:
- highly intuitive and instinctively aware
- a deep thinker and a well of the range of emotional experiences
- gifted with a strong, powerful and consistent voice and source of self-expression
- very open-minded, able to show people new perspectives
- able to make and keep promises to myself and others
- a well of love for others and animals
Lesson #3: Following Recognition and Invitations
Society teaches us that if we want something, we gotta go out and chase it to make it happen. But this isn’t the way we’re all meant to function, according to human design. The only type that is meant to actually initiate things is the Manifestor (9% of the global population).
Each human design type has a strategy for how we’re meant to interact with the world and the people in it. As a projector, my strategy is to wait for the invitation. When projectors first learn about this, they think that this means they’ll always be waiting around. But waiting for an invitation only really applies to the times they’re sharing their energy and insights with others.
When you, as a Projector, wait to feel recognized and invited to share your wisdom and insights with others, you’ll be more likely to be listened to. This has been a massive shift for me. I used to feel like I was misunderstood and was constantly struggling to form genuine friendships… that’s when I realized I was meant to open up with the right people—the ones who made me feel seen for who I am. In terms of business relationships and client outreach, as a Projector, you don’t have to wait for an invitation to market yourself. That said, think of your marketing as a way of making your expertise, wisdom and gifts obvious so that others can invite you in to work with them.
Cold pitches, chasing opportunities and continual hustling are not aligned tactics for a Projector. Instead, it’s about trusting that invitations will come for you when you feel strong and sturdy in your expertise and are making that visible for others to see.
Once I began embracing my strategy as a Projector, I started receiving bookings for aligned client sessions and invitations to share my expertise in workshops, unlike ever before. Embracing your strategy allows things to simply flow…
Lesson #4: Allowing My Authority To Guide My Decisions
I used to really struggle with making decisions. Society tells us we need to be decisive in the moment, but the truth is that most of us aren’t designed this way! About 50% of the world has emotional (solar plexus) authority in their human design… and I’m one of them!
When you have emotional authority, you’re never meant to make big decisions on the spot. You’re meant to allow yourself to ride the whole wave of a decision before you make it, waiting until you reach a moment of neutrality before deciding.
If you have emotional authority like I do, get comfortable with saying “that sounds great, let me sleep on it!” rather than trying to decide on the spot. This ensures you don’t commit to things that aren’t actually in alignment with you and your energetic capacity. This also ensures that you don’t say no to things you actually want to say yes to, because you were at an emotional low point when asked.
The key to emotional authority is that it’s for big decisions. In business, this could be who you want to work with, engage with, or create partnerships with. When it comes to smaller, day-to-day decisions, you can tap into the wisdom of one of your other defined centres. I use my defined spleen for smaller day-to-day decisions, meaning I follow my intuition and instincts in the moment.
Following your authority allows you to:
- Avoid falling into ‘shiny object syndrome’ and chasing things that aren’t actually in alignment for you
- Cut through self-doubt, knowing and trusting that your authority is your decision-making compass here to steer you on course
- Never really make a ‘wrong’ decision in the greater ‘plan’ of your life.
Lesson #5: Redefining What “Success” Is
I used to constantly measure my success by my productivity, the hours I worked, and the constant output. But I’m naturally efficient, able to complete a “full day” worth of work in just a couple of hours. When I forced myself to work long hours, thinking that’s what was necessary to build a strong business, I burnt myself out over and over again.
Instead, I had to start recognizing my energetic capacity and meet myself where I am. As a Projector, we feel an innate sense of success when we are living in alignment with our strategy, waiting for the invitation and exercising our individual authority. For Projectors, success isn’t something to chase outwardly, but a feeling we naturally experience when living in alignment with our design. This knowledge helped me surrender alot of the pressure I was putting on myself for what ‘success’ was supposed to look like.
Are you a Projector too? Explore what that really means in this post.
Your Next Steps:
- Explore your own human design type and authority to get to know how you’re actually designed to flow and function within society, rather than forcing yourself into a box that’s not even meant for you!
- Experiment with what you learn about yourself along your human design journey: this roadmap is a great way to get started in your explorations! Human design is a self-awareness tool for alignment, not a rulebook: embrace what works for you specifically along the way.
- Reflect on: What comes easily to me?
- Where do I feel like I’m losing energy each day?
- What feels forced?
- What do people tell me about myself over and over again?
- What do I recognize as my greatest gifts?
Human Design Isn’t About Changing Who You Are… It’s Remembeing How You are Designed to THRIVE
Book a guided reading with me to discover the intricacies of your Human Design and learn how to apply it to achieve true thriving in all aspects of your life and career. Would you prefer to dip a toe in first? Begin with this free guide, which teaches you all about the unique magic of your human design type.
Other Articles You’ll Love:
Navigating Burnout (Using Human Design)
Your Spring Reset (By Human Design)
All About Authority in Human Design
