How To Use Your Human Design Inner Authority To Make the Best Decisions

If you’re an astrology nerd or a Myers-Briggs devotee, there’s a good chance you’ll be into the world of Human Design. As Well+Good previously reported, Human Design is a blend of the I Ching, Kabbalah, the chakra system, and astrology. Using your Human Design profile—which you can get by entering your birth time, date, and place into an online generator like Jovian Archive or My Body Graph—you can peek into your unique energetic makeup. One insight is your Human Design inner authority, which can shed light on how you best make decisions.

“The intention is not to change who you are, but to give you permission to be who you’ve always been and offer insight into what’s possible as you step into the fullest expression of yourself,” says Human Design guide and leadership coach Erin Claire Jones. Knowing which of the six inner authorities (including “none”) applies to you can help you handle situations most effectively, given your unique nature. Some people, for example, are hyper-intuitive and can make decisions on the spot while others require more time to think or someone with whom they can talk it out.

One insight of your Human Design profile is your inner authority, which can shed light on how you best make decisions.

The idea is that when we follow our process, we find more success and satisfaction with our decisions. In other words, no more second-guessing yourself. Below, Jones breaks down how to use your Human Design inner authority to make the best decisions.

How to make decisions easily according to your Human Design inner authority

Emotional solar plexus

With an emotional solar plexus authority, time is your best friend. “Clarity for you comes over time,” Jones says. “You may have an initial instinct about something, but you are not meant to make big decisions in the moment. Rather than decide on an emotional high or low, the best thing you can do is sleep on a decision and wait until you feel emotionally clear.” Whenever possible, try to buy yourself at least a couple of days before you commit to anything.

Sacral

The advice of “listening to your gut” exemplifies those with a sacral authority. “Your gut may feel an excited buzz or an internal expansion if it’s a yes or an uncomfortable knot if it’s a no,” Jones says. “You may feel your body being pulled toward something or contracting away from it. As soon as you get a full-bodied gut response, you can take action.”

If you have trouble accessing your gut response, Jones recommends asking people around you to pose specific yes-or-no questions to you. For example, instead of asking you what you want for dinner, they can ask if you want to eat out or cook at home. Or, if you want veggies or soup. You get the gist.

Splenic

People with a splenic Human Design inner authority are the fastest decision-makers. “You are meant to be spontaneous and impulsive in your decisions and make decisions based on your intuition in the moment,” Jones says. “This is the quietest authority and can show up as a whisper you hear, tingles you feel, or an immediate resonance with something.” That said, those intuitive hits can disappear as quickly as they arrived. So, Jones says that your job is to get quiet enough to hear the guidance and then muster up the courage to act on it when it does.

Self-projected

Those with a Human Design inner authority that’s self-projected gain clarity upon talking things out. So, chatting with a therapist or coach, journaling, or voice-recording yourself are your most useful decision-making tools. “Surround yourself with people you trust; people who will serve as sounding boards rather than give you answers and just allow yourself to process verbally,” Jones says. “Ask yourself: Will this decision make me happy? Will it allow my self-expression? Will it move me in the right direction?” You’ll often notice your tone of voice change when your truth emerges.

Ego

An inner ego authority dictates that you make your decisions based on your heart’s desires and willpower. Before deciding, ask yourself if you truly have the energy to do the thing. “You are meant to be healthily selfish in your decisions,” Jones says. That’s because though you will have tons of energy if you’re deciding according to your ego authority, your energy operates in spurts. Be sure to enjoy some self-care time before making a big commitment.

If your inner authority is “none” and you are a Projector

Projectors are very sensitive to their environments. So being in a healthy environment that feels good for you is key for making decisions. Use that safe space to verbally talk things out and process them with people you confide in. “Let those around you serve as sounding boards, rather than relying on them for advice,” Jones says. “It’s often good to take time in a few different spaces that feel good, with different people you trust, to see what truth emerges when you allow yourself to process verbally.”

If your inner authority is “none” and you are a Reflector

As a Reflector with a “none” inner authority, you’d benefit from giving yourself about a month before making a big decision. “This waiting period gives you time to sample a decision to know if it’s truly correct for you,” Jones says. “In this waiting time, it’s healthy to talk things out in environments that feel good with people you trust.” If you need to make a choice sooner, remember that things change for you over time and do your best to still not rush.  It can be helpful to vocalize this need for time and space so those around you are less likely to pressure you to decide.

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