Strategy in Human Design
Strategy in Human Design refers to a recommended approach or way of making decisions that is specific to each of the 5 main energy types in the Human Design system. Here’s a brief overview of the strategies for each type:
Generators and Manifesting Generators:
Strategy: To wait to respond This means waiting for life to bring opportunities to you and then responding to them based on your gut feelings or internal physical sensations.
Projectors:
Strategy: To wait for the invitation This involves waiting to be recognized and invited before sharing your insights or taking on major projects.
Manifestors:
Strategy: To inform Manifestors are advised to inform others before taking significant actions, to help smooth their path and reduce resistance.
Reflectors:
Strategy: To wait a lunar cycle Reflectors are recommended to wait through a full 28-day lunar cycle before making major decisions, allowing time to fully process and reflect.
Pure Generators:
Strategy: To wait to respond (same as regular Generators)
The idea behind these strategies is that following them allows each type to align with their natural energy and decision-making process, potentially leading to less resistance and more satisfaction in life.
What is Strategy in Human Design?
Human Design is a beautiful blend of principles from astrology, the I Ching, the Kabbalah, the Hindu-Brahmin chakra system, and even quantum physics that develops a distinctive framework for reading each individual’s unique energy, personality, and life mission.
A vital piece of this framework is the Human Design Strategy for each type. These strategies offer a compass for navigating life’s hurdles and aligning decisions with one’s design. The Human Design Strategy empowers individuals to leverage their inherent strengths, fostering a profound sense of fulfillment and accomplishment across various domains.
The strategies—inform then initiate, wait to respond, respond- envision- inform- then act, wait for recognition and invitation, and wait a full lunar cycle, correlate directly to your Human Design type: Manifestors (Initiators), Generators (Alchemists), Manifesting Generators (Time Benders), Projectors (Orchestrators), and Reflectors (Calibrators).
Each Human Design Strategy is intricately designed to the unique energy dynamics of each Type, ensuring choices resonate harmoniously with individuals’ natural inclinations and energetic capacities.
If you don’t already know your Human Design type, head over to www.freehumandesignchart.com to receive your free Human Design Chart.
Manifestor Strategy: Inform then initiate
The Manifestor’s Human Design strategy involves informing others about their actions and intentions.
1. Meaning of “To Inform”: Manifestors are advised to inform or notify others before taking significant actions or initiating new projects. This doesn’t mean asking for permission, but rather giving a heads-up about their intentions.
2. Purpose:
- Reduce resistance: By informing others, Manifestors can help prepare those around them for incoming changes or actions, potentially reducing pushback or surprise.
- Smooth the path: This strategy can help create a more harmonious environment for the Manifestor’s initiatives.
- Respect others’ space: Since Manifestors have a powerful initiating energy, informing helps others feel included and respected.
3. How to implement:
- Before starting a new project, let relevant people know.
- When making decisions that affect others, inform them of your plans.
- Communicate your intentions clearly but without seeking approval.
4. Benefits:
- Can help Manifestors avoid feeling angry or frustrated when they encounter resistance.
- May lead to more support for their ideas and actions.
- Can improve relationships and reduce conflicts.
5. Challenges:
- Some Manifestors might find it difficult to inform before acting, as they’re designed to initiate quickly.
- There’s a balance to strike between informing and maintaining their independent nature.
A Manifestor who is living in true alignment with their design by informing those around them, can soften the impact of their intense energy and utilize it for the benefit of themselves and others. They achieve this by considering the individuals affected by their actions and communicating expectations accordingly.
However, for Manifestors, the act of informing may not come naturally, and they might perceive it as a loss of control or manipulation by their environment. Many Manifestors refrain from disclosing their plans early on, as they’ve learned from experience that others may attempt to thwart their pursuits or dismiss them as unattainable.
Yet, Manifestors who grasp the significance of informing in their relationships and reducing resistance can garner support for their creative energy and personal power. It’s crucial for Manifestors to recognize that informing doesn’t imply relinquishing or altering their course of action; it simply provides clarity to those involved.
Moreover, just as Manifestors appreciate feeling loved when others share their plans, they also experience a sense of affection and respect when kept informed about others’ endeavors.
Generator Strategy: Wait to Respond
The Generator Human Design strategy is waiting to respond, rather than initiating action. While Generators may feel compelled to kickstart endeavors, their true strength lies in carrying them through to completion, leaving the initiation to Manifestors.
1. Strategy: Wait to Respond Generators are advised to wait for life to bring opportunities to them and then respond based on their internal gut feelings or physical sensations.
2. Meaning of “Wait to Respond”: This strategy involves pausing before initiating action, allowing external stimuli or opportunities to present themselves, and then reacting based on one’s internal guidance system.
3. Purpose:
- Align with natural energy flow: Helps Generators use their energy efficiently and sustainably.
- Ensure satisfaction: By responding rather than initiating, Generators are more likely to engage in activities that truly resonate with them.
- Avoid burnout: Prevents Generators from forcing things or pushing against their natural rhythm.
4. How to implement:
- Practice patience and avoid rushing into decisions or actions.
- Pay attention to opportunities, invitations, or questions that arise in daily life.
- Check-in with your gut response or “sacral response” before committing to something.
- Look for physical signs of excitement or enthusiasm as indicators of a positive response.
5. Benefits:
- Increased life satisfaction and sense of fulfillment.
- Better energy management and reduced likelihood of burnout.
- Improved decision-making aligned with one’s true desires and capabilities.
- Greater sense of flow and ease in life and work.
6. Challenges:
- May feel counterintuitive at first, especially in a society that often values initiation and quick action.
- Requires patience and trust in the process.
- Might need to learn to differentiate between genuine sacral responses and mental desires.
7. Key indicators of correct strategy use:
- Feeling energized and satisfied with decisions and actions.
- Experiencing a sense of being “in the flow” of life.
- Noticing reduced frustration and increased contentment in daily activities.
Many Generators encounter frustration when attempting to act as initiators, a pattern reinforced by societal conditioning urging them to “just do it” or “make it happen.” This conventional approach, ingrained in about 70 percent of the population, often leads to feelings of being stuck or trapped in unfulfilling roles and routines.
Generators possess enduring energy, yet without responding to external stimuli, they risk becoming ensnared in unfulfilling pursuits. In a world largely driven by Generators’ efforts, learning to respond rather than initiate is pivotal for unlocking their potential and aligning with work they truly enjoy.
Though waiting may feel counterintuitive, Generators who embrace this approach liberate themselves to pursue work they’re passionate about, channeling their energy into endeavors that resonate deeply. By responding to the right opportunities, they can sustainably engage in fulfilling work, potentially for a lifetime, or until an even more fitting opportunity arises.
Manifesting Generator Strategy: Respond, Envision, Inform, Then Act
Much like the Generator, Manifesting Generators need to respond to the world around them. The difference between the two is the Manifesting Generator can push the gray area of initiation a little bit. In some situations, they may respond, so quickly that it appears more of initiation than a response. But to truly maximize the energetic return they need to slow down and wait for something to respond to.
Manifesting Generators must also inform, like Manifestors, in order to stabilize the energy around them. They can go so fast that informing feels as if it is slowing them down, but informing will decrease the resistance that they feel from others.
1. Primary Strategy: Wait to Respond Like regular Generators, Manifesting Generators are advised to wait for life to bring opportunities and then respond based on their internal guidance.
2. Secondary Strategy: Inform After responding, Manifesting Generators should inform others about their plans before taking action, borrowing an aspect of the Manifestor Human Design strategy.
3. Meaning of the Combined Strategy: This dual approach involves first allowing opportunities to come, responding to them internally, and then communicating intentions before acting.
4. Purpose:
- Harness natural energy: Aligns with their quick, multi-faceted energy while avoiding scattered efforts.
- Reduce frustration: Helps prevent the feeling of being stopped or interrupted mid-action.
- Increase efficiency: Allows for rapid response and action while maintaining harmony with others.
5. How to implement:
- Practice patience in waiting for opportunities or questions to arise.
- Check in with your gut or “sacral” response to gauge your true reaction.
- Once you’ve decided to act, briefly inform relevant people of your intentions.
- Move quickly but consciously through projects, allowing for shifts and changes.
6. Benefits:
- Improved energy management and reduced burnout.
- Better alignment between actions and true desires.
- Smoother interactions with others due to clear communication.
- Increased satisfaction and sense of accomplishment.
7. Challenges:
- Balancing the need to wait with the urge to act quickly.
- Learning to pause briefly to inform others before diving into action.
- Distinguishing between genuine responses and mental desires.
8. Key indicators of correct strategy use:
- Feeling energized and satisfied with decisions and actions.
- Experiencing smoother transitions between multiple projects or tasks.
- Noticing reduced conflict or resistance from others in your environment.
- Sensing a balance between quick action and thoughtful communication.
The Manifesting Generator who is not responding to the world around them risks being very busy, but doing nothing. Because the Manifesting Generator is so fast when they do respond, they have a tendency to skip important steps and frequently have to go back and fix their mistakes
For example, if a Manifesting Generator and a Generator start the same job at the same time, the Manifesting Generator will appear to learn the ropes more quickly. But if you compare the two six months later, the Generator will have caught up, and they will both be at the same level of mastery, because the Generator has a slower and steady learning process.
Projector Strategy: Wait for Recognition and Invitation
The Projector Human Design strategy is to wait for recognition and invitation. Their strategy entails waiting for invitations, particularly significant ones like those related to love, career, and living situations. Unlike Generators who continuously respond to life’s cues, Projectors receive fewer but more substantial opportunities.
1. Strategy: Wait for the Invitation Projectors are advised to wait for recognition and invitation before sharing their insights or taking on major projects.
2. Meaning of “Wait for the Invitation”: This Human Design strategy involves being patient and allowing others to recognize your unique gifts and talents, then responding to explicit invitations to share your wisdom or take on roles.
3. Purpose:
- Ensure recognition: Helps Projectors be seen and appreciated for their true value.
- Conserve energy: Prevents burnout from pushing or trying to prove oneself.
- Access success: Aligns Projectors with opportunities where they’re truly wanted and needed.
4. How to implement:
- Practice patience and resist the urge to offer unsolicited advice or take on roles uninvited.
- Focus on personal growth and deepening your understanding while waiting.
- Pay attention to genuine invitations, which may be verbal or circumstantial.
- Distinguish between true invitations and casual requests or expectations.
5. Types of Invitations:
- Personal: Direct invitations to share insights or take on a role.
- Professional: Job offers, project invitations, or requests for expertise.
- Circumstantial: Situations that naturally call for your skills and perspective.
6. Benefits:
- Increased recognition and appreciation for your unique gifts.
- Better energy management and reduced likelihood of burnout.
- More successful and satisfying engagements in work and relationships.
- Stronger sense of personal value and self-worth.
7. Challenges:
- May feel counterintuitive in a society that often values proactivity and self-promotion.
- Requires patience and trust in the process of being recognized.
- Learning to discern between genuine invitations and casual requests.
8. Key indicators of correct strategy use:
- Feeling seen, appreciated, and valued for your true self.
- Experiencing success and satisfaction in roles you’ve been invited into.
- Noticing an increase in genuine invitations over time.
- Sensing a natural flow of recognition and opportunities without forcing.
9. Responding to Invitations:
- When invited, Projectors can fully engage their energy and wisdom.
- It’s okay to negotiate or clarify the terms of an invitation.
- Projectors can decline invitations that don’t feel right, waiting for those that truly resonate.
Misunderstandings often arise, with Projectors being perceived as lazy for waiting, when in reality, waiting is inherent to their design. Projectors rely on recognition and invitation for success. Their lack of a motor to the Throat and an open Sacral Center further complicates matters, as they struggle to be heard and acknowledged without being asked to contribute.
Projectors offering unsolicited advice may be seen as intrusive or overbearing, leading to feelings of frustration or rejection. However, when patiently waiting for recognition and invitation, Projectors possess invaluable wisdom to offer, intuitively understanding how to optimize others’ energies.
Reflector Strategy: Wait a Full Lunar Cycle
The Human Design strategy of “Waiting a Lunar Cycle” is for Reflectors. Reflectors are inextricably linked to the moon and its cycle.
1. Strategy: Waiting a Lunar Cycle Reflectors are advised to wait through a full 28-day lunar cycle before making major decisions.
2. Meaning of “Waiting a Lunar Cycle”: This Human Design strategy involves taking time to fully process and reflect on important choices, allowing the Reflector to experience their decision through different energetic influences over a month.
3. Purpose:
- Gain clarity: Allows Reflectors to see situations from multiple perspectives over time.
- Avoid pressure: Prevents hasty decisions influenced by others or temporary circumstances.
- Align with natural rhythm: Helps Reflectors tune into their own unique decision-making process.
4. How to implement:
- When faced with a significant decision, consciously begin a 28-day reflection period.
- Use a lunar calendar to track the cycle if helpful.
- Notice how you feel about the decision at different points in the cycle.
- Journal or record observations throughout the month.
- Make the final decision after the full cycle has passed.
5. Areas to apply this strategy:
- Major life changes (moving, career shifts, relationships)
- Significant purchases or investments
- Long-term commitments or contracts
- Personal or professional partnerships
6. Benefits:
- More confident and aligned decision-making.
- Reduced likelihood of regret or second-guessing choices.
- Increased self-awareness and understanding of personal preferences.
- Better resistance to external pressures or influences.
7. Challenges:
- May feel slow or indecisive to others who don’t understand this process.
- Requires patience and trust in one’s own timing.
- Learning to navigate situations that demand quicker decisions.
8. Key indicators of correct strategy use:
- Feeling clear and confident about decisions after the waiting period.
- Noticing subtle shifts in perspective throughout the lunar cycle.
- Experiencing a sense of alignment and rightness with choices made.
- Reduced anxiety or stress around decision-making.
9. During the Lunar Cycle:
- Stay open to information and experiences related to the decision.
- Engage with trusted friends or advisors for different perspectives.
- Pay attention to dreams, intuitions, and bodily sensations.
- Avoid making firm commitments until the cycle is complete.
10. After the Lunar Cycle:
- Trust the insights and feelings that have emerged.
- Make decisions with confidence, knowing you’ve given yourself time to fully process.
- Communicate your choice clearly to others involved.
When confronted with significant decisions or life junctures, Reflectors are advised to patiently await the completion of a full lunar cycle to attain clarity and insight. This period of waiting enables them to observe the evolution of their emotions and viewpoints, facilitating a more discerning and attuned decision-making process.
By adhering to this lunar cycle waiting period, Reflectors can ensure that their choices resonate with their authentic selves and harmonize with the natural rhythms of their surroundings.
What is the Difference Between Strategy and Authority?
Human Design is complex, but if you only ever follow your type’s Strategy and Authority you will be living in harmony with your design.
Strategy is the approach that each Human Design type should adopt in life. Embracing your type’s unique Strategy is how to interact with the world around you.
Authority is the internal guidance system within you, facilitating decisions aligned with your individual design. Uniquely determined by your Human Design chart, your Authority acts as an internal compass, directing you toward your best life.
Strategy and Authority work together in the Human Design system. Strategy brings you to the table, while Authority allows you to choose the best dish that life has to serve.
How to Use Your Strategy in Human Design
Working with a Quantum Human Design Specialist provides a personalized journey into understanding your Human Design Strategy. Through their expert guidance and interpretation of your chart, you will delve into the intricacies of your unique design, uncovering insights into your nature, and decision-making processes.
Together, you explore how to align with your Human Design Strategy, empowering you to navigate life with greater clarity and authenticity. With the specialist’s support, you embark on a transformative exploration, gaining deeper self-awareness and unlocking your potential to live in harmony with your true essence.
Find your Quantum Human Design Specialist Here
It’s important to note that while each one of us is different and magnificent, it is truly in the sum total of the parts of who we are as humans that the true elegance of Human Design and humanity is revealed.
If you want to learn more about the true elegance of Human Design and how it can work for you, why not check out our Quantum Human Design School here
Note: The names in brackets above are the Quantum Human Design (QHD) names for the Types and Profiles. QHD helps us to reframe the ‘Not Self’ or conditioned self shown in Human Design to explore the potential of the deconditioned self and to live more in alignment with our inner truth.
Curious about the difference between Human Design and Quantum Human Design? Karen Curry Parker explains it in this video
