“I heard that Projectors are only supposed to work 2-3 hours a day. Is that even possible? What would that actually look like in real life?”
These questions sparked a great conversation on a guest teaching discovery call earlier this month, and I had so much to say on the topic that I figured a blog post was in order!
As a Projector myself, I’ve been down a long, winding road to get to where I am today: Running a successful online business while working only 2-3 hours/day.
If you’re a Projector, a short workday probably sounds magical but also kind of… impossible, right?
In this post, I’ll explain:
- Why Projectors are designed for a shorter workday
- How you can set this up for yourself (or your Projector clients)
- Where to focus your time and energy as a Projector
- What a 3-hour workday looks like in my own business
First, Why Do Projectors Need a 3-Hour Work Day?
Projectors, along with Reflectors, are called a “Non-Energy Type” in Human Design. This means they don’t have access to the same levels of physical energy as Manifestors, Generators, and Mani-Gens do.
While an aligned Generator can work 8 hours/day without repercussions, the same isn’t true for us Projectors.
Projectors who overdo it and push beyond that 3-hour mark will inevitably find themselves running out of gas, and probably feeling super bitter about it (which is the Projector Not-Self Theme). And if they continue exerting themselves too much for too long, they will ultimately burn themselves out.
My Own Story & Chronic Health Problems
When I started my first “adult job”, where I was working 8:30-5 in an office, my health immediately suffered. Migraines, exhaustion, burn out, chronic pain—you name it, I was struggling with it.
Even when I quit that job less than a year later to pursue entrepreneurship, the chronic health issues remained. Why? Well, one of the main reasons is that I still hadn’t learned about my Human Design or the fact that I was a Projector, and thus was still pushing myself to work 8+ hours/day even when I became my own boss.
Fast forward to 2018 when I stumbled across Human Design for the first time.
As I dove deeper and deeper into my own Design and began experimenting with it, things started shifting for the better.
By 2020, I was working 4-5 hours/day and my health was slowly improving. Then, after my daughter was born at the end of that year, my work hours naturally scaled back even more—and I saw the benefits in my physical, mental, and emotional health.
Now, 2-3 hours/day is the norm for me. And I love it. Work doesn’t take over my life, but I get to do what I’m passionate about and feel like I’m making a difference.
Doesn’t This Put Projectors at a Disadvantage?
In terms of a “regular” job—i.e., one where you’re working for someone else and being paid hourly—it definitely puts Projectors at a disadvantage.
If a Projector is forced to work more than 3 hours per day, say in a traditional 9-5 job, they are not in alignment with their Design, and will unfortunately suffer the negative consequences of that.
However, if you’re brave enough to strike out on your own as a coach or other type of entrepreneur, you get to create your own schedule. And that’s where the real magic can happen for you as a Projector!
Projectors are Efficiency Geniuses
Here’s the thing about us Projectors: We are masters of efficiency.
We innately know how to run our businesses in the most efficient, streamlined way possible—especially if we stop trying to copy what we see other people in our industry are doing.
(Hint: 80% of those people are NOT Projectors, so what they’re doing isn’t aligned for you. Blinders on, friend!)
Projectors are unique in that they have a bird’s eye view of everything going on around them. They can see the bigger picture, which helps them make smart decisions, avoid obstacles, and reach their goals in a more seamless way.
An aligned Projector can work ridiculously FAST. They can shortcut their way through almost anything without sacrificing the quality of their work.
Systems, automation, templates, shortcuts, processes—these are your BFFs as a Projector coach, and the beautiful part is that efficiency already comes so naturally to you. All you have to do is embrace that gift in your business.
In fact…
An aligned Projector can accomplish as much in 2-3 hours as another Type would need 7-8 hours to accomplish.
Thus, Projectors don’t *need* to work 8 hours/day. They can be just as effective and impactful while working fewer hours.
Because of this, I don’t necessarily see the 3-hour workday as a disadvantage for me personally.
It forces me to lean more into my natural gifts, to pull back and think about the bigger picture, and to ensure my time and energy is spent on activities that will actually move the needle in my business.
Where Should You Focus Your Energy as a Projector?
Speaking of, let’s talk about the things I recommend spending your precious time and energy on as a Projector coach or entrepreneur.
1️⃣ Building Your Legacy
I’ve experienced a huge shift in my own happiness and success since shifting my mindset from thinking about quick wins and short-term results to focusing on the long-term legacy of my work.
Hitting your income goal this month is great, yes. But what about setting up systems that will generate income next month, and the month after that, and every month after that?
An Instagram Reel going viral is awesome, yes. But what about creating an epic piece of evergreen blog content that you SEO the sh*t out of, and that continues to generate new leads, email subscribers, and sales for years to come?
As a Projector, you can do (and see) BOTH.
Keep one eye focused on the short-term results you want to create and the other eye on your long-term vision and the legacy you want to build.
2️⃣ Systems, Templates, Automation, Oh My!
These are your success codes as a Projector. Embrace your natural efficiency and set up smart systems that run your business, attract clients, and generate revenue even when you’re not working.
A few quick examples off the top of my head are things like…
- Graphic design templates for social media images, lead magnets, or client workbooks
- Contract and invoice templates
- Using a “smart” bookkeeping software like Wave (which I love and is totally free!)
- Automated sales funnels for your coaching packages or passive offers
- An automated welcome sequence for new email subscribers
3️⃣ Focus on Your Zone of Genius
Dialling in on and fully embodying “zone of genius” is another Projector success code.
Every Projector has (at least) one zone of genius—something you’re exceptionally good at, better than most people. And THIS is where you should be spending as much of your time and energy as possible.
Your zone of genius as a coach might be:
- Facilitating powerful coaching calls
- Marketing your business and attracting new clients
- Public speaking and charisma
- Content creation (that’s one of mine!)
- Sharing tough love and initiating people into action
- … Among many, many other possible things!
Over time, dedicate more and more of your energy to the things you LOVE doing and are super great at. Focus on that zone of genius. And from there…
4️⃣ Lean into outsourcing and delegation
“But Krista, what about all that other stuff that goes into running a business? I can’t work in my zone of genius ALL the time!”
I hear ya. And that’s where team-building comes in.
I know it can feel scary to invest money in a team and to trust other people to put the same love and care into your business as you do.
But if you want to build an aligned business as a Projector (and if you want to live an aligned, healthy, fulfilling life), you need to step into your natural role as a LEADER.
You are not here to do all the work yourself. You are here to create a powerful vision for your business and legacy, and then to focus your time and energy within your zone of genius while your team handles the rest.
Start outsourcing one thing at a time by hiring contractors to take over those tasks for you. Whether it’s bookkeeping, graphic design, editing podcast episodes, writing marketing content… you don’t have to do everything on your own, and you’re not supposed to.
I can almost guarantee that your business revenue will scale in proportion to the number of tasks you get off your plate and the amount of time you spend in your zone of genius.
So What Does a 3-Hour Workday Actually Look Like?
This might all sound great in theory, but is it actually? Like, in real life (not fairy unicorn land where everything is sunshine and rainbows)?
Yes, it really is possible! And I’m proof of it. For fun, here’s a peek at how I spent my time and energy on each of my 2-3 hour workdays this week. 👇
(Note: My daughter currently goes to preschool from 9am-1pm each day, and I generally work from around 10am-12pm or 12:30. The specific schedule and hours will obviously vary on a person-by-person basis).
📆 MONDAY
- Asana organization and mapping – 5 minutes
- Planning Instagram Story content for the week – 10 minutes
- Blog post rough draft – 1 hour (I did this while walking on my treadmill. Hello, efficiency!)
- Instagram Stories – 20 minutes
📆 TUESDAY
- Q&A on Instagram Stories – 30 mins
- Working on the Human Design for Coaches 2.0 Program – 60 mins
- Answering emails and DMs – 15 mins
- Working on blog post – 30 mins
📆 WEDNESDAY
- Day in the Life on Instagram Stories – 30 minutes
- Work on blog post: 30 minutes
📆 THURSDAY
- IG Stories: 15 minutes
- Work on podcast stuff: 60 minutes
📆 FRIDAY
- Weekly finance routine – 10 minutes
- Answer emails and DMs – 15 minutes
- Write and schedule my email newsletter – 60 minutes
This is just a rough idea of my schedule at this point in time, and yours will look different.
For example, if you offer 1:1 coaching (vs. courses and group programs like I do), you could swap out my course creation blocks (HDfC) with your 1:1 client calls. When I’m not creating or revamping a paid offer, I’ll use those blocks for sales strategy and launch planning instead.
Was this post helpful for you as a Projector? Are you going to attempt the 3-hour workday? Send me a message on Instagram to let me know how it goes!
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