If you’re new here, you’re likely a fellow Projector (I’m a 4/6 Splenic Projector, more about me at the very bottom of this article) and perhaps you’ve had the same experience I’ve had trying to understand what being a Projector really means and more importantly, how to use it in life and business. If so, you’re not alone, and welcome to Projectors Thriving!
*This article is part of a limited blog series to help other Projector entrepreneurs connect to resources and information to help them grow their businesses in a way that works for them.
For more resources, you can join the monthly Projectors Thriving newsletter (it’s free) and check out the Marketing for Projectors course. For additional Projector articles, click here.
Projectors, our job is to guide, not DO.
However, as an entrepreneur who wants to create success, what do we hear?
“Wake up an hour earlier!”
“If you want it bad enough, you’ll do whatever it takes!”
“Work hard, play hard.”
You’ve likely heard the productivity gurus regurgitating this in their videos, on stages, and in their social media content. It’s like they’re telling us if we don’t have what we want by now, then we’re not working hard enough.
I hired a high-ticket coach who was a Manifestor and had a team full of Generators. When I asked her when there would be time to rest and have a real vacation, she said, “You have to work harder than you’ve ever worked for at least five years, and then you’ll be able to take a break.”
Ugh, I was a year into my business and was already exhausted. I had no idea how I could keep up the pace I was going for another four years. I was crossing off all of the boxes on the hustle to-do list. I made the six figures. I hosted events with hundreds of attendees.
I did allllll of the things I was supposed to and I was losing myself in the process.
At the time, I had NO idea that I was a Protector. I just genuinely felt there was something wrong with me that I couldn’t and didn’t want to hustle all of the time. I saw it working for other people so if it didn’t work for me, then clearly there was something wrong with me, right?
And that’s the grand lie. Instead of questioning the formulas, we question ourselves. Conveniently, there is a product or service that someone can sell us to help us achieve more by working harder. The only way this harmful cycle stops is if we see it for the lie that it is and stop playing.
There are two major problems with hustle culture:
- The people shouting all of the productivity/work harder formulas are likely a Manifestor or Generator type in Human Design and they are in fact, more wired to be go, go, go!Reminder: Generators and Manifesting Generators make up 70% of the population. Manifestors are about 9%.
This means that the big majority of trainings, content, programs, and courses, are created by people who have totally different energy and endurance than Projectors. This also means that the majority of the advice is literally not meant for you as a Projector. - We are swimming in a sea of capitalism that touts hustle culture as the “path to success,” and that’s something we must consciously divest from. Capitalism is not commerce, capitalism is the exploitation of people in order to make a profit. I’m looking at you Amazon, Walmart, and other greedy corporations, including big-name and high-ticket coaches who use manipulative marketing practices just to get to their goal revenue every month.
Considering that we are being pressured all of the time to do more, push harder, and sleep less, it makes total sense if we get caught up in these unsustainable systems.
Projectors are on the planet to show people there is another way to create success.
And we’re here to show people that it doesn’t require burning out in order to prove how badly you desire success.
This is part of the deconditioning process. If you’re new to Human Design, deconditioning is a term used when describing what each design type goes through when they recognize who they really are and shed the layers of who they’ve been conditioned to be.
Most Projectors I know have been conditioned to be extremely hard workers and then wonder why they are burnt out, resentful, bitter, and lack any spark of creativity for what truly lights them up.
The catch here is we are REALLY good at seeing what needs to be done. We see how all of the pieces fit together. Generally, we are great planners. We have been conditioned to be great doers. But what we are really here to do is be great GUIDES.
Part of stepping into our full innate power as a Projector is to recognize when the conditioned doer part of us is wanting to take the lead.
It’s tough to decondition this, especially if our value has been derived from how much we produce and do. (hello, capitalism)
I love what Erin Claire Jones, a fellow Projector, and Human Design expert, says in this post:
*Erin shares great content and was one of the guest presenters in the Marketing for Projectors course, too. Learn more here: https://angellajohnson.com/marketing-for-projectors/
Should you pivot your offerings in your business to better fit your Projector design?
One thing that comes up for Projectors who have a done-for-you service is they wonder if they should stop offering that service.
If your livelihood is dependent on your current offerings, I don’t recommend just stopping the work you’re doing in the event that it puts you in a place of scarcity that makes it hard to create income in a different way.
Your invitation (see what I did there?) is to simply notice if you’re feeling depleted, and perhaps bitter. A Projector friend of mine referred to this as being soul tired – not just tired, but soul tired.
Just notice what shows up for you when you start getting curious. Then notice where that exhaustion is coming from. Consider adjustments that you can make immediately and then over the next several months.
Two common solutions are to raise your rates and adjust the times you are available for your clients.
In the meantime, here is an article about creating a spacious schedule as a Projector.
Living in alignment with your Projector superpowers isn’t an overnight crash course to get it done perfectly. It’s a deconditioning process that takes time and constant updates and adjustments.
In a world that rewards people for how much they do, it’s no wonder that so many people are tired, depleted, and uninspired. Projectors are here to show that there is another way. As we embrace this, it will feel uncomfortable, yet so familiar because it’s how our soul was created. It’s who we are at our core.
Let go of the hustle and ask yourself where you can guide rather than do. Then set boundaries to empower people around you to step up and do, especially if you’ve been doing all of the doing. This goes for your career and home life.
Are there specific jobs or business models that are best suited for Projectors?
There are different perspectives on this and here’s my take on it: NO. There is so much more to your design than just being a Projector. Your authority and profile will help you determine your career and business model, along with what defined and undefined gates and channels you have.
Anytime, someone says that any system like Human Design, Enneagram, Strengths Finder, etc. tells you that you must do this and you mustn’t do that, then get curious. Ask questions and practice your critical thinking.
Ultimately, you get to choose.
There are many pieces of advice in the world on how to be happy, wealthy, healthy, and more. But what do YOU desire? What resonates with you? YOU are the one who knows you best. What is resonant for you? Trust yourself.
I’ve had Human Design readings from three different people now, plus I’ve read lots and lots about Projectors. At the end of the day, what matters is what resonates with MY soul. What is expansive and generative vs judgemental and constrictive?
Give yourself space and grace as you continue to evolve and decondition the parts of you that you no longer wish to carry and embody. Change takes time. Being who we truly are evolves over time; it’s not a destination with a finish line.
Ultimately, you get to choose. My unsolicited advice: choose easy. Take baby steps because baby steps create momentum without burnout. Remember, there is no finish line.
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