We’re obsessed with Human Design. As is Alexandra Cole, a former corporate consultant turned Human Design coach. After a decade of helping Fortune 500’s identify and articulate their “why”, she pivoted to help individuals, families and couples do the same using Human Design. All of her content and offerings are inspired by her passion for creating highly practical, actionable strategies that empower people to optimize their relationships, well-being, careers, finances, and family life.

The transition to a new calendar year can feel loaded. On the one hand, it feels full of potential and new opportunities. It’s a clean slate. On the other hand, this can result in a tremendous amount of pressure. Pressure to make the most of it. To do the things we didn’t get around to the year before. To change bad habits and start healthier ones.

But setting intentions for the new year shouldn’t feel stressful. It should feel inspiring. And the secret to achieving this, I’ve found, is setting goals that play to your strengths. How does one do that, you might be wondering? Well, let me introduce you to something called Human Design.

Human Design is part spiritual system, part self-awareness tool. Bringing together several ancient modalities, including astrology, the chakras, and kabbalah, Human Design is grounded in the belief that we’re all designed to be different on purpose. Your Human Design chart—based on your birth time, date and place—represents a roadmap to the way your unique energy is designed to express itself in the most authentic and effortless way possible. In other words, it’s a blueprint to being your truest self. It may not sound revolutionary, but in a world where we’re faced with a myriad of pressures to conform to a certain way of doing things—whether it’s work, love, diet or parenting—it’s easy to lose sight of your own internal guidance system. Human Design reminds you of your YOU-ness and gives you permission to do life in the way that feels most supportive and fulfilling for you.

If you want to set better goals for 2024, the first place to look is your energy type. To find your energy type, simply enter your birth information here and get your free chart. At the top of the list of chart properties, you will see one of the following five types listed: generator, manifestor, manifesting generator, projector, or reflector.

Your energy type describes how you’re built to invest energy in order to get the greatest return on that investment. Not all of us are here to grind it out, for example. Some of us work best in short, intense bursts (projectors), while others thrive when making consistent, moderate progress over longer periods of time (generators and manifesting generators). Some of us are here to initiate new things (manifestors), while others prefer to refine or amplify what already exists (projectors and reflectors).

Playing to your strengths means focusing on the one thing in life you can control: how you invest your most precious asset, your energy. Each of the five energy types is designed to do this slightly differently and by allowing your type to inform what or who you choose to pour your energy into in the year ahead, you can ensure that you’ll achieve the best results with the least amount of resistance along the way.

To help guide your intention-setting, consider reflecting on the prompts below to ensure that you’re approaching these goals in the most aligned way for you and setting yourself up for success in 2024 (and beyond):

+ Manifestors | What would you do or how would you do it if you didn’t have to justify yourself or your decisions to anyone? What would you start or initiate? How might you have the greatest impact, even if it means disappointing or shocking some people? What goals feel the most urgent to you?

+ Generators | What would you do or how would you do it if you prioritized 100% for your own joy? What would you do if you took your mind (i.e., rational thinking) out of the equation and followed your gut? What goals feel most exciting to you?

+ Manifesting Generators | What would you do or how would you do it if you let go of the “shoulds” and created your own rules? What would you do if you took your mind (i.e., rational thinking) out of the equation and followed your gut? What goals feel most exciting to you?

+ Projectors | What would you do or how would you do it if you leaned into the gifts that come most effortlessly to you instead of pushing/forcing things that don’t? How would you work/operate if you stopped comparing yourself and your productivity patterns to others? What goals feel most effortless to you?

+ Reflectors | What would you do or how would you do it if your only goal was to feel good? What people or environments would you seek out? How might you practice even more presence?

I encourage you to continue learning about your design to discover how this tool can empower you to live out your purpose in the most effortless and fulfilling way. If you’re new to Human Design, these free energy type cheat sheets are a great place to start. If you’re already familiar with the basics of your design, this personalized report translates the more advanced chart aspects to help you optimize your well-being and lifestyle. Use code TBDXCHALKB for 15% any Thriving by Design products if you purchase before January 31, 2023.