Make better decisions: the attorney’s guide to profile numbers

When you lean into your Human Design profile numbers, you make better decisions. Sound decision-making is foundational to productivity, so this means that you also become a better lawyer.

Executive summary

You have two profile numbers, each different from one another. You can find your profile numbers in your personalized Human Design chart.

If your Human Design chart contains:

Profile number 1:

Research is foundational for you. Ensure that you set aside sufficient time for research at the beginning of every transaction, case, and drafting project.

Profile number 2:

To be at your professional best, you need uninterrupted time alone. Working remotely (or at least hybrid) and time-blocking “do not disturb” periods helps you become more productive.

Profile number 3:

You learn and grow through experiences, so try things out rather than simply learning about them intellectually. Remember that for you, things “not working out” are part of the learning process, so don’t label them failures, and ignore those that do.

Profile number 4:

Your connections provide you with opportunities, so schedule regular networking activities. Depending on your personality, anything from casual one-on-one coffee dates to formal networking events fit the bill.

Profile number 5:

If you aren’t already in a prominent or leadership role, prepare yourself to be in one. Develop boundaries to protect yourself from the negative pushback you face when others’ expectations of you are unfulfilled.

Profile number 6:

You experience three main stages in your life — first, trying things out; second, integrating all you’ve experienced; and third, sharing your wisdom with others and becoming a role model.

I invite you to download this helpful guide on becoming more productive as a lawyer by leaning into your profile numbers.

A bit about me

If you don’t already know me, my name is Sat-Sung. I worked as a corporate-commercial lawyer for many years. I loved the practice of law, but suffered tremendously from stress and fatigue.

Ultimately, I pivoted into what I do now, which is assisting other lawyers feel more motivated, focused, and energetic, and less overwhelmed, stressed, and anxious from the pressures they face.

I do this through a toolbox of techniques that I personalize for you and your professional and personal goals. Two of the tools in my toolbox are Human Design and Bach Flowers.

So what is Human Design and what are profile numbers anyhow?

Reduced to its essence, Human Design helps you optimize your energy and make better decisions.

You have a unique Human Design chart (based on your birth date and time), and your profile numbers are one aspect of your chart.

Your profile numbers describe the optimal environment for you to make the best decisions. As decision-making is foundational to productivity, leaning into your profile numbers helps you become a more effective attorney.

Everyone has two profile numbers. Your first profile number describes an aspect of your personality with which you are likely familiar. Your second profile number talks about some traits that may be less obvious to you, but which others likely see clearly.

Finding your profile numbers

Finding your profile numbers is as simple as inputting your birthdate, birth time, and location of birth on a site offering Human Design chart building. Many sites offer this service for free, and all are more or less identical in terms of ease of use. This is a link to one of those sites, but choose a different one if it appeals to you more.

Your Human Design chart will look something like this, except with different shapes and lines shaded in:

In your chart, look for the “profile” field. For instance, on this chart it’s here:

The two numbers in the profile field of your chart are your Human Design profile numbers or lines. In the above example, they are a 6 and a 2.

Make better decisions using your profile numbers: the attorney’s guide

There are a total of six profile numbers, or lines, in Human Design. Your two numbers will be different from and influence one another.

Following are the six Human Design profile numbers, and for each, some professional and productivity tips that will help you make better decisions.

Line 1 — the Investigator

For you, research is the key to effective action. Make sure you understand the details before getting going.

Professional and productivity tips:

1. As part of your work on a case, transaction, or document, set aside sufficient time for as much research as you feel necessary. While lawyers with different profile numbers can often skip this step, for you it is foundational.
2. Too busy to do this research yourself? Make sure your legal research assistants prepare excellent and detailed work, and that they update you regularly. Be organized and give them assignments to complete before you begin the project itself.
3. Not sure how to get yourself organized enough to do this? When looking to adopt new productivity techniques, research them first. Satisfy yourself with all the small details you feel are relevant before you decide which one to try out. You’re not a step-into-the-water-without-checking-it-out-first type of lawyer.
4. No-brainer: make sure that you have easy access to legal research tools such as Westlaw and Lexis.
5. If you’re looking to pivot professionally, put legal research on your to-consider list.

Line 2 — the Hermit

For you, uninterrupted solitude is a must. It is absolutely necessary for you to properly integrate ideas, knowledge, and experiences. When you have sufficient alone time, you learn quickly and easily and tap into your innate brilliance. And innate brilliance you have, so take advantage of it by scheduling enough alone time. The investment will pay off. While for other lawyers solitude may be a luxury, for you it’s a necessity.

Professional and productivity tips:

1. Working remotely (provided you have a separate home office) could be a perfect fit for you.
2. If working remotely is not an option, do all you can to get your own office where you can shut the door and not be disturbed. Open offices, cubicles, and glass walls are not for you!
3. Time block periods where you block calls and emails, so you get mental alone time.
4. While trial lawyers don’t have the same scheduling flexibility as solicitors, do what you can to ensure you have time alone around in-court days. During trial prep stages, schedule set times for the team to meet, rather than having an open-door policy.
5. The same for other Line 2 lawyers as well — open-door policies are certainly collegial, but not the strategy best suited for your profile number. Consider open-door hours instead.

Line 3 — the Martyr

Line 3 — the Martyr

You’re the attorney that learns through trial and error. You are resilient and gifted with the knowledge you’ve gained through your experiences, including experiences that haven’t quite worked out as desired. Keep this in mind: for Line 3 attorneys, there are no mistakes or failures — only experiences, each one leading you closer to your goals.

Professional and productivity tips:

1. Not certain which area of law suits you best? No problem. Try them all (well, at least a lot of them…). This is how you’ll figure it out.
2. Remember that for you, the best path to success is experimentation. When drafting contracts, consider trying various approaches before deciding on the best one. When litigating, test different strategies to understand which will be most successful.
3. Ignore those that say you need to niche down. They’re either not Line 3’s themselves, or else not in tune with their Human Design profile. You will probably eventually niche down, but only after figuring out for yourself, through your experiences, what is best for you.
4. Also ignore those that proclaim that anything that doesn’t work out is a failure. Remember that as a Line 3 you need to try things out.
5. Searching for a better productivity tool? Try out different options and only then decide what is most effective.
6. Consider drafting a book or other learning materials based on your experiences in your area of legal expertise (or non-law expertise). As a Line 3, you’re a great teacher.

Line 4 — the Opportunist

You gain energy, stability, and opportunities from the people in your life. You love connecting, and connecting others, and your best professional opportunities come from your network.

Professional and productivity tips:

1. Working from the office might be a good choice, for relationship building can be easier when physically together. If you work from home, make sure you regularly reach out to colleagues, whether remotely or in person.
2. Make room for networking in your schedule. Depending on your preferences, this can take the form of anything from formal gatherings to casual catch-ups. Choose what resonates with you, and not what others say you should do. Indeed, this is a basic rule in Human Design in general, because you optimize your energy when you listen to the messages your body gives you, rather than using others as a guide.
3. If you’re not sure what networking could look like for an introvert, consider checking out this book (I did).
4. Looking for new productivity tools? Reach out to your network to see what they recommend.
5. Consider productivity tools and techniques involving others, such as accountability partners, small work groups, and group coaching programs.
6. Even more than others, Line 4 lawyers lean on their work, relationships, and housing for stability. Therefore, to maintain peak productivity, best not to transition more than one of these at the same time.

Line 5 — the Heretic

You are a lawyer with a magnetic personality that draws people in. Others tend to see in you what they want to see. While there are advantages to this, it also means that they often have unrealistic expectations about who you are and what you can deliver. When you eventually (and naturally) fail to live up to these expectations, they can be disappointed.

Professional and productivity tips:

1. You are a natural leader. If you are not already in a prominent or leadership role, prepare yourself to be in one.
2. You are healthiest when you protect yourself from others’ negativity. Strengthen your boundaries and work on being patient with yourself. Just because someone holds unrealistic expectations concerning who you are and what you can deliver, it doesn’t mean you need to feel bad about yourself when you fail to live up to these expectations.
3. Schedule alone time to help you decompress from the pressures others place on you.
4. Be tuned into which decisions are right for you. All these external expectations can cloud your inner voice, so keep your ears open and listen. Bach Flowers can help you with this.

Line 6 — the Role Model

Your life is divided into three different life stages — first, until about age 30, trying things out; second, integrating these experiences; and third, from about age 50, sharing your knowledge with others and becoming a role model.

Professional and productivity tips:

1. Look at your other profile number for guidance regarding the flavour of these three stages. For instance, if your other profile number is a 3, then through these three different stages you will be looking at how your experiences affect you. On the other hand, if your other profile number is a 1, you’ll be interested in the details.

More about your profile numbers

You have two profile numbers, and each influences the other. Sometimes the interactions are relatively seamless, such as lawyers with a 1/3 profile. In that case, both research and trying out new things create the best decision-making environment, and both are relatively easy to integrate. For other lawyers, this connection might not be so intuitive, such as an attorney 2/4 profile who needs both time alone and social time connecting with others.

In all cases, use your profile numbers to build an environment that supports you being at peak performance.

I invite you to download this helpful guide on becoming more productive as a lawyer by leaning into your profile numbers so that you begin to make even better decisions.

Questions?

Those who work with me receive personalized sessions to help them become even more effective at decision-making, and to feel more motivated and energetic at the office. This help them increase their productivity and effectiveness both as an attorney, and in life generally.

If you have questions or wish to book a consultation, you are invited to be in contact.

Have a productive and fulfilling day, full of energy and excellent decisions.

~ Sat-Sung