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The 5 Strategies in Human Design
Knowing our Strategy — and, consequently, our Authority — is one of the most valuable pieces of information when beginning to experiment with Human Design. Our chart reveals our energy type, which is a fundamental piece because it explains exactly how our energy shows up in the world.
To understand what Strategy means in Human Design, we need to know that each energy type has a unique way of functioning — and that is what we call Strategy. Just as there are 5 energy types, there are also 5 types of Strategy.
1. THE STRATEGY OF PROJECTORS: WAIT FOR THE INVITATION
The Strategy of a Projector makes their role somewhat limited. There’s a reason for this, of course. The Universe is in constant expansion and has no interest in limiting the individual capacities of each person. However, we could only live in complete expansion and abundance if everyone reached a state of full consciousness and were, in fact, living their Design. Strategy is a tool to protect our energy so that it is used in the right way and in the right place, and not wasted where it’s not welcome or useful.
All of us, whether Projectors or not, have certainly come across someone in our lives whose problem, to us, has an obvious solution. That friend who is addicted to gambling should seek psychological help. To our uncle with high blood pressure, we tell him to cut back on the salt. To our classmate who’s about to fail the year, we give all our notes and even offer to explain the material. However, despite our help and advice, our friend keeps spending his whole paycheck on scratch cards, our uncle still adds more salt to his food, and our classmate prefers going out to studying. The truth is, no one can be changed unless the desire to change comes from within.
Now, let’s imagine the specific case of a Projector who was designed not only to identify problems, but also to find the solution and manage its implementation. If Projectors went around trying to help people who weren’t ready to receive their help, how much of their energy would turn into bitterness for not being able to help everyone? Hence the specific Strategy for Projectors: Wait for the Invitation. A Projector should only guide and lead when invited. The Projector’s Strategy is a practical example of the saying “Don’t go where you’re not invited.”
It’s important to understand that, as challenging as this may be for a Projector, it’s a mechanism that—true to Projector energy—optimizes them by directing them to where they are truly needed and where they can make a real difference.
The invitation for Projectors doesn’t have to be verbal. It doesn’t need to arrive in a golden envelope, written in bold letters, or announced with a fanfare. An invitation can be a glance, an energy exchange, a suggestion, a compliment. It can simply be the feeling of openness from the other person. Of course, this isn’t always easy to interpret. If a friend with a problem invites us out because they need to talk, it’s reasonable to see that as an invitation to step into the role of guide. However, the friend may only want to vent or get distracted and might not actually be open to solutions or optimization. It’s essential that a Projector pay close attention to energetic cues. Fortunately, due to their natural focused awareness, a Projector is usually able to pick up on these signals with relative ease.
2. THE STRATEGY OF GENERATORS: WAIT TO RESPOND
When people say that Generators are the workers of the world and have an endless supply of energy, the last thing that comes to mind is that their strategy is to Wait to Respond. No one imagines a Generator sitting with arms crossed, staring at the clock and sighing, waiting for a question like someone waiting for a bus. Yet this is the Strategy that fits perfectly with the magic of Generators.
Generators are made to dance with life. By following their Sacral response, Generators are naturally guided toward the things that bring them joy and light them up. Waiting to Respond doesn’t have to mean waiting for a direct question from someone — it can be anything that shows up in front of them. A Generator might walk into a pastry shop, fix their gaze on a custard tart, and their Sacral will say “Yes, I want it!” or “Not even if it were the last pastry in the shop!”
The more Generators do what they love, what lights them up inside, the more these “questions” will appear. This is the true magic of Generators: by doing what is aligned with them internally, they create a kind of vortex that draws more of those things into their life. They don’t need to search for them or create opportunities. The life of an aligned Generator unfolds naturally. Opportunities begin to fall from the sky, which is why it’s extremely important for a Generator to know how to say “No!” to what doesn’t light them up — and to know how to wait. This wait can initially feel long and bring Frustration, which can lead a Generator to accept just anything because standing still feels unbearable. Even if opportunities start coming all at once later, the Generator doesn’t have to — and shouldn’t — feel pressured to accept them all.
If Generators have the ability to clearly hear their sacral “Yeses,” things become more complicated when it comes to a “No.” Even more so because Generators genuinely want to create joy and spread it to everyone. Saying “No!” feels like letting someone down or leaving someone behind. Saying “No!” doesn’t feel polite — and since Generators have so much energy, why not just give a little more? Just a bit. It’s no big deal. But it is! The best general rule for a Generator is: if it’s not a loud, full-bodied “Yes!”, then it’s a “No!” — and it really has to be that way. The Sacral doesn’t understand “Maybe!” and if a Generator feels the sacral response isn’t clear, then the question either needs to be more specific or should be asked again later.
For Generators with Sacral Authority, applying their Strategy is relatively easy and powerful because the Sacral gives an immediate response. All Generators (and Manifesting Generators) have access to the sacral response, but if their Authority is Emotional, they’ll need to wait to gain clarity. Emotional Authority brings a slight fog to the Sacral that makes it harder to distinguish the sacral response. What feels like a “Yes!” in the moment might clearly become a “No!” the next day. That’s why Generators with Emotional Authority need a second beat in their Strategy. The first is to wait for the question or opportunity to come from the outside. Immediately, there will be an internal response, and while Sacral Authorities can usually respond right away knowing their answer is true, Emotional Authorities must wait — or “sleep on it” — to know whether that initial response was truly aligned.
It’s also important to add that, just like a Projector waiting for an invitation, a Generator waiting to respond doesn’t need to stand still. The Generator’s waiting is active — it’s waiting while doing what they love. It’s trusting that the Universe will present the right opportunities, but only if the Generator is keeping their inner spark of joy alive. Living, going out, exploring the world, trying new things, meeting people — all of these are experiences that give Generators the external prompts to which they can respond.
3. THE STRATEGY OF MANIFESTORS: INFORM BEFORE TAKING ACTION
The strategy of the Manifestor is based on a fundamental principle: informing others about their actions. The Manifestor carries such a powerful aura that it’s essential to soften the impact of their energy by using it in a way that serves both themselves and others — by considering all those who will be affected by their actions and letting them know what to expect.
Informing is by no means a natural process for Manifestors. They may feel controlled or manipulated as a result of their powerful aura. Manifestors tend to get defensive when told what to do — a pattern rooted in early life experiences of people trying to stop them or telling them that what they want to do is impossible.
Understanding the importance of informing can have a deeply transformative impact on a Manifestor’s relationships. It helps remove resistance and creates the necessary support for their power and creative energy to flow. It’s important for Manifestors to remember that informing doesn’t mean they have to stop or change their course of action. It’s simply the energetic way of reducing resistance from the people most impacted by their actions.
Take the case of a Manifestor who is having a perfect evening with his partner. After dinner, they decide to relax and watch a movie together. While his partner goes to change clothes, the Manifestor decides to make some popcorn. Upon reaching the kitchen, he realizes they’re out, so he grabs the car keys and heads to the nearest convenience store. Meanwhile, his partner returns to the living room and finds he’s gone. Concerned, she tries to call him, but he left his phone at home. When he returns, she’s furious at the door — and he doesn’t even understand why. By failing to inform her of his action, the Manifestor unintentionally triggered conflict.
Besides it being very important to inform, the Manifestor will feel loved and respected if the opposite also happens and they themselves are informed about what is going on. So if you love a Manifestor, inform them of what you’re planning to do — this energetic exchange will help them reduce the natural process of anger that can be triggered in the Manifestor.
In our society, we’re commonly taught and conditioned to behave like Manifestors. As children, we hear things like, “Just do it,” or “Take charge and make things happen.” For many of us, trying to live this way becomes a frustrating experience that doesn’t produce the results we expect. The great irony is that when a Manifestor child is born, parents often sense from an early age that this child’s energy is a powerful force — and they instinctively try to control what should never be controlled. As a result, these children are often raised in the wrong way, learning to hide their immense potential or act in secret.
Because of all this conditioning, the idea of informing can feel strange or even frightening to a Manifestor. They fear being stopped, told what to do, or punished for being “too much” — for being powerful.
The world needs Manifestors to keep moving forward and evolving. More than ever, we need people who can quickly create solutions for many of the world’s problems. For that to happen, we need Manifestors who know how to use their power consciously and who always respect their Strategy of Informing.
4. THE STRATEGY OF REFLECTORS: WAIT FOR A LUNAR CYCLE
Reflectors have all of their centers open on their chart, so the gates in their design are extremely important, as they are the only consistent energies in their chart.
Reflectors are lunar beings. The Moon takes 28 days to complete a full cycle in which it moves through each of the 64 gates. In doing so, the Moon transits through a Reflector’s chart, resulting in consistent changes in their definition (the gates).
This means Reflectors have a predictable 28-day cycle and predictable shifts in their cycle based on the Moon’s position. Reflectors are able to anticipate more energetic days based on their lunar cycle due to these consistent changes.
Due to the Reflector’s mutability and their symbiotic relationship with the Moon’s movement through their chart, the Reflector’s strategy is precisely to wait 28 days before making a decision.
But it’s a paradox: we live in a fast-paced culture, so having to wait 28 days to be sure a decision is valid is extremely challenging. Therefore, disappointment is the emotional theme of a Reflector. Reflectors often feel disappointed by their decisions because they don’t wait long enough for clarity. Having been pressured into making a quick decision, they end up regretting their choices and suffering the unfortunate consequences.
It’s also true that Reflectors experience disappointment due to their openness. They are deeply wise about the full potential of the human being and can clearly see when people are not living up to that potential.
While a Reflector is waiting during the 28-day period, it’s important to understand the need to talk to others about their decisions. Reflectors have no internal authority. The truth of their decisions can only be known when it is reflected back to them by others. For this reason, it’s essential that Reflectors have a consistent group of friends they feel good with — people who are willing to listen and support them in their decision-making process. The Reflector’s inconsistent energy means they need consistent auras they can trust.
Reflectors must truly follow their only inner authority, which is how they feel. When a Reflector is in the right place, they feel comfortable. Whenever they don’t feel good in a certain place — whether at work or in a restaurant — it’s important for them to leave. However, it’s important to distinguish between situations: it’s perfectly fine to leave a restaurant as soon as they walk in and something feels off, but when it comes to work, it’s important to wait 28 days to ensure that the decision to leave is truly correct. Strategy — for the Reflector and all types — requires discernment. A Reflector isn’t going to wait 28 days to decide whether to eat meat or fish for dinner, just like a Projector doesn’t need to wait for an invitation to watch a movie when sitting in front of Netflix. In most cases, Strategy applies to major life decisions or those that will have a significant impact.
After the Reflector has waited 28 days to make a decision, they can take any action they feel is necessary. They may simply walk away — but when a Reflector needs to act, it becomes very clear to them!
Human Design sessions are especially useful for Reflectors because, in a session, they can see the exact changes in their chart over the 28 days of their cycle and can thus learn which days of the cycle are consistent for specific activities and decision-making.
5. THE MANIFESTING GENERATOR STRATEGY – WAIT TO RESPOND AND INFORM BEFORE ACTING
At their core, Manifesting Generators share the same Strategy as Generators: they must Wait to Respond to what shows up in their external reality. Even though society teaches us to adopt the “make it happen” mindset, it’s crucial for Manifesting Generators to wait for a response before taking action.
However, Manifesting Generators resemble Manifestors in that they have a motor connected to the Throat.
Their initial tendency is to initiate. Because they have this rapid, internal, non-verbal creative flow, waiting can be very challenging and frustrating for them. Most people are not used to waiting and observing life as it unfolds. Waiting to Respond is essential for Manifesting Generators to find the deep satisfaction they long for and to avoid burnout from committing to the wrong work.
The auric energy field of the body indicates when the Manifesting Generator needs something to respond to in their life. However, they have a tendency to respond to situations more quickly than a pure Generator.
To ensure they are on the right path, Manifesting Generators also need to “test” their responses (sacral or emotional) to the situations they encounter. This is one of the reasons why Manifesting Generators are constantly changing their minds. Because they respond so quickly, they often tend to skip important steps — and frequently need to go back and fix what was missed.
So, when faced with a question, Manifesting Generators will feel more satisfied if they first experiment with the ideas in their imagination and visualize the outcome before taking action.
When the Manifesting Generator waits, things always happen at the right time and in the right way. From that waiting, a question will emerge to which the Manifesting Generator must Respond using their Authority — either the Sacral, which allows for a quicker response, or the Emotional, which requires the additional effort of waiting for Emotional Clarity.
Just like Manifestors, when a Manifesting Generator moves, everyone notices and feels it. As a result, people often become confused and react (negatively) to the Manifesting Generator’s intense, non-verbal creative flow because they can’t understand what’s happening. They don’t know whether to get out of the way or if something is wrong when the Manifesting Generator moves with such intensity while in Response mode. That’s why the process of Informing Before Acting helps calm the energy, letting people know what to expect from the situation.
Ultimately, Informing those involved clears the path so the Manifesting Generator can maintain their light-speed creative flow. As with Manifestors, this isn’t their most natural way of operating in the world. In addition to learning to Wait, they must practice informing everyone involved (and it’s also important that they are informed in return), so that they can adapt their creative process to what’s happening around them.
Let’s look at an example:
A Manifesting Generator who isn’t doing what they love feels frustrated because they can’t access that inexhaustible sacral energy source and ends up thinking: “I need a vacation.” If this Manifesting Generator knows nothing about Human Design or their energy type, they might book a flight before even confirming whether they can take time off or afford the trip. That’s how a Manifesting Generator operates: they can move at tremendous speed when inspired by a thought or motivation due to their non-verbal creative flow.
However, an aligned Manifesting Generator would know to wait before booking the flight, so they can Respond to what life presents.
So that same afternoon, the Manifesting Generator who needs a vacation responds to the physical exhaustion by going to the doctor. There, the doctor tells them they’re on the verge of burnout and experiencing adrenal fatigue. “You need a vacation!” says the doctor. To this, the Manifesting Generator responds with a satisfied “Mmmm-hmmmm.”
On the way back home from the doctor’s appointment, they pass by a billboard showing an idyllic beach scene. That’s when they think, “I really do need a vacation.” They begin to visualize themselves in the warm waters of Mexico, on top of the Empire State Building, or watching the Northern Lights in Norway. When they arrive home, they check the mailbox and find a postcard from a friend who just moved to the Bahamas, with a note that says, “You should come visit me.” And once again, the Manifesting Generator’s Sacral responds with a clear “Mmmm-hmmmm!”
Depending on their Authority, the Manifesting Generator may begin to act immediately or sleep on it before taking action. However, once the Response is clear, the Manifesting Generator must Inform all relevant parties before taking action — such as family, employer, etc.
It’s important to highlight that the ideal vacation for a Manifesting Generator doesn’t necessarily involve lying in a hammock and sipping a gin and tonic — that kind of rest period is usually short-lived for a Manifesting Generator.
The Importance of Following Strategy in Human Design
Whatever our Strategy may be, it’s essential to understand that its purpose is to preserve and channel our Energy. Living according to our Strategy and Authority is the key to beginning our journey toward our Authentic Self and the life we are meant to live.
