Stop Using Your Brain to Make Decisions

Use this 'Human Design' Hack instead

Human Design is a powerful self-knowledge system that reveals the unique blueprint of your energy, decision-making process, and how you're meant to interact with the world. Think of it like your own personal user guide to you. And one of the most life-changing aspects of Human Design is understanding your Authority—the unique way you're meant to make decisions. If you learn nothing else from Human Design, following your Strategy and Authority (S&A) can radically shift your life.

We’re conditioned to rely on our minds when making choices—listing pros and cons, analyzing logic, considering what’s socially acceptable, and trying to strategize the "best" outcome. But no one is actually designed to make decisions with their mind. When we do, it often leads to fear, doubt and anxiety because the mind doesn't actually know what is in alignment for each of us. The mind is just a tool for observation, communication, and knowledge—but not for personal truth.

Personal wisdom isn’t in the mind—it’s in the body. Each of us has an Inner Authority, connected to one of the body’s 9 energetic chakra centers, that provides reliable guidance. When we tune into our Authority, we make decisions that align with who we truly are, rather than what we've been conditioned to believe.

Let's explore the 8 different Authorities in Human Design, so you can start making choices with confidence, clarity, and ease.

Not sure what your Authority is? Grab your free Human Design chart here and then come right back! Note: Check your birth certificate (if possible) because you will need to enter your exact birth time for an accurate result.

1. Emotional Authority

The most common authority, called Emotional Authority (about 50% of people), is rooted in the Solar Plexus chakra center and having it means clarity comes with time. Your emotions are constantly shifting throughout the day, like the tides, moving through highs, lows, and everything in between. This isn't just fluctuation for the sake of it—it's your body gathering wisdom. By experiencing a decision from multiple emotional states, you gain a fuller, more nuanced understanding of what’s truly aligned for you.

The key is patience. Rushing to decide when you're at an emotional high or low can lead to choices that don't truly serve you. Instead, when a decision is presented, note how you feel about it and then continue to check in with yourself at different points throughout the day, and track how your feelings shift. Give yourself at least 24 hours for important decisions. Once your wave has fully run its course, you’ll reach a place of emotional neutrality. At this neutral point, envision yourself saying yes to the decision. If it feels light, expansive, or naturally right, that’s your body affirming the choice. If there’s heaviness, exhaustion, or a dull sense of "meh" in your body, that’s a no.

For major life decisions like moving or changing jobs, give yourself as much time as you need. The right choice will still feel right after the wave settles. Emotional Authority may take more time, but it can lead to the strongest sense of clarity (of all the authorities!), ensuring that when you do decide, it’s deeply aligned with your truth. Trust your wave, trust the process, and know that clarity will come at the correct time.

2. SACRAL Authority

A powerful, in-the-moment guidance system, Sacral Authority belongs to Generators and Manifesting Generators. Rooted in the Sacral center, it speaks through your gut—an immediate, visceral response that arises the moment a choice is presented. Do you want to go for a walk? Do you want to have coffee right now? Do you want to work on this project? A “yes” feels energizing, expansive, and exciting—like your body is pulling you toward it. A “no” can feel heavy, flat, dull, or even just neutral.

It’s essential that the choice is presented to you externally. Whether it’s a question someone asks, a sign you see, a song that catches your ear, or a visual cue that lights you up—your Sacral needs an outside stimulus to respond to. But if it’s just a random thought, memory, or idea floating through your head with no link to your immediate environment, that's the mind trying to direct you. Without an external prompt, your Sacral can’t fire up with a clear yes or no. This is why presence matters—being in your body, attuned to the moment. If you’re lost in thought, you’ll miss the cue and the magic.

One way to connect more deeply with your Sacral is by allowing yourself to make noise. When you're presented with an option, try responding with sound before words—like a gut-level uh-huh for yes or uh-uh for no. These raw, spontaneous noises, called Sacral Sounds, often come out before your mind has a chance to jump in, and they can be surprisingly revealing. If you're not sure, try letting a sound emerge and notice how your body feels when you do. Does it feel energizing or depleting? Trust those sounds—they’re your Sacral speaking its truth, no filter, no logic required.

Overthinking weakens your clarity, so the key is to trust your body’s natural response rather than letting logic or outside pressure override your inner knowing. If your gut hums with excitement, move forward. If there’s hesitation or a lack of energy, it’s a no for now. Trust your gut—it knows the truth long before your mind tries to make sense of it.

3. Splenic Authority

Splenic Authority is all about instinct, intuition, and survival. Rooted in the Spleen chakra—located in your core just above the gut—it delivers quiet, immediate signals: a nudge, a sudden knowing, or even a physical sensation in the body.

This authority thrives on presence and trust. Your first instinct is your truest one. The challenge? Not letting fear, doubt, or logic override it. A “yes” might feel clear, light, or relieving. A “no” can feel heavy, draining, or like nothing at all. If you’re unsure, it’s okay to step away and come back to the decision—try reengaging and tuning in again to see what arises.

Because it’s so subtle, Splenic Authority can be the hardest to trust at first. Start small. Test it out on low-stakes decisions and notice how it shows up for you. The more you listen, the louder and clearer it becomes.

Splenic guidance may be unique to you—like a voice in your head, a tingling in your body, or a sudden sense of certainty. You won’t always be able to explain why something feels right or wrong, so skip the over-analysis. Questions like “Am I sure?” will only cloud your clarity.

4. EGO PROJECTED Authority

Rooted in the Heart Center, Ego Projected Authority is all about desire, self-worth, motivation, and willpower. This isn’t about what’s logical or emotionally right for others—it’s about what you truly want. Your truth lives in your chest, and the guiding question is simple: Does this serve me?

You’re designed to be enlightenedly selfish—when something genuinely benefits you, it naturally benefits those around you. This isn’t ego in the unhealthy sense; it’s clarity that honors your value and your impact.

To make aligned decisions, bring awareness to your chest. If there’s excitement, energy, or a sense of personal gain—it’s a yes. If it feels flat, draining, or misaligned with your worth—it’s a no. Sometimes clarity is immediate, sometimes it takes a few days. And if fear shows up, check for the spark of excitement beneath it. If it excites you and scares you a little, you’re probably on the right track!

5. EGO manifested Authority

Similar to Ego Projected, Ego Manifested Authority is all about desire, self-worth, motivation, and willpower. This isn’t about what’s logical or emotionally right for others—it’s about what you truly want. Your truth lives in your chest, and the guiding question is simple: Does this serve me?

You’re designed to be enlightenedly selfish—when something genuinely benefits you, it naturally benefits those around you. This isn’t ego in the unhealthy sense; it’s clarity that honors your value and your impact.

The difference? With Ego Manifested, it's essential that you ask the questions out loud so you can hear your voice. Say "Does this serve me? What's in it for me?" Don’t overthink—just notice what spills out when you answer your own question. If your voice carries clarity, energy, or excitement, that’s a yes. If your words land flat, hesitant, or disconnected, that’s a no. Listen to what your voice reveals before your mind jumps in. Your heart knows what’s aligned—especially when you let it speak for itself.

6. Self-Projected Authority

Self-Projected Authority is rooted in the G Center - the center of love, purpose, and your life's direction. And the way you access your truth is through your voice. You’re designed to talk it out—freely, unfiltered, and uncensored. As the words spill out, your inner alignment (or misalignment) becomes clear. This isn’t about advice from others—it’s about hearing yourself say it out loud and listening for the resonance.

The magic happens when you let yourself ramble. Don’t edit. Don’t perform. Just speak. Call a trusted friend who knows not to interrupt or sway you. Or talk to your dog. Or your voice notes app. Just let the words flow. When you listen back (or even mid-sentence), you’ll often hear what’s right. The tone of your voice is key—if it sounds alive, confident, lit up? That’s your body saying yes. If your voice trails off, sounds uncertain, or loses energy? That’s a no for now. Clarity may come quickly, or it may take a few days or weeks of talking things through. Don’t rush it. Let the process breathe.

The most powerful guiding question for you is: Does this decision bring me closer to my life’s direction? You’re not just making choices—you’re steering your personal compass. Your decisions are meant to align with your sense of identity and purpose, not just convenience or consensus. This authority is beautifully individualistic. You’re designed to move through life by expressing yourself, hearing yourself, and recognizing your truth through your own voice.

7. Mental / Environmental Authority

Mental/Environment Authority (also called Sounding Board) is one of the most misunderstood authorities. For you, truth doesn’t live inside a specific center. It’s more like a full-body frequency check that happens when you're in the right environment.

Unique to Mental Projectors, you’re designed to first gather all the data, mentally sort through it, and analyze everything. Your mind is brilliant, strategic, and deeply perceptive. But it’s not where the final decision comes from. Once you’ve mentally explored the options and weighed the pros and cons, you need to physically change environments and put yourself in a space that feels really good. Like your favorite coffee shop or somewhere in nature—whatever feels right to you. Then, in that new space, think about the decision again. And now, this is the tricky part: the clarity you’re looking for shows up in how your body feels about the decision while you’re in the right environment and thinking it through—not what your mind says. Not what logic says.

A 'yes' will feel like full-body clarity—a subtle but undeniable knowing. The no might feel like your body gently pulling away. If you feel neutral, foggy, or confusing, that's a no for now. Fear can sometimes disguise itself as a no, but if there’s still excitement and a sense of expansion underneath the nerves, that might be a yes.

So get all the facts, analyze it to your heart’s content, then go for a walk, visit your favorite café, sit in your garden—and feel it out. Your decision-making isn’t linear. It’s intuitive, spatial, and atmospheric. You don’t need to rush. You just need to listen to what your body says when it feels informed, safe and at peace.

8. lunar Authority

Lunar Authority is unique to Reflectors who have no defined centers and no inner authority in the traditional sense. Instead, you're designed to wait an entire 28-day lunar cycle to gain clarity. This may sound extreme, but it gives your body time to attune—letting the Moon light up each gate in your chart, one by one, over 28 days.

As the Moon moves through the gates each day, it activates different energies in your chart, allowing you to feel into various aspects of a decision. Journaling daily with questions like “Who was I today?” or “How did I feel about this today?” can help you witness your shifting experience without pressure to arrive at an answer too soon.

It’s crucial to wait the full lunar cycle—even if clarity seems to arrive halfway through. You may feel one way at day 10 and completely different by day 26. Your process is about observing your body’s felt response over time, not trying to mentally lock in an answer. For smaller decisions, you can trust your moment-to-moment flow. For larger decisions, honor your full lunar journey. If you’re being pushed to decide faster, that’s a sign that it’s likely not in alignment for you or the timing is off.

When the cycle completes, you’ll typically feel a clear yes (ease, openness, energy in your body), a no (contraction, pressure, or disconnection), or a “not yet” (neutrality or fogginess). Fear may show up too—but if it comes with excitement and expansion, it might be a scary yes. Your clarity lives in your body, not your mind. Trust your rhythm because you’re meant to live by the Moon, not society's demands.

ready to learn more about your human design?

Book the My Blueprint reading: Your Essential Roadmap to Clarity, Authentic Living, and Success. Using insights from both Astrology and Human Design, I’ll help you maximize your strengths, navigate challenges, and step into your full potential. Whether you're looking to elevate your career, strengthen your relationships, or simply move through life with more ease and alignment, this session will give you the clarity and empowerment you need!