As it does for so many things, Human Design has an explanation for why my 20s felt kind of insane. And it might have an explanation for you, too.

Recently, I turned 30. And it was a big deal. Not because of social constructions about what it means to be a woman who is no longer particularly “young.” Not because I had a list of shoulds that I failed to accomplish before this milestone birthday. And not because of the significance of a new decade of life (although I definitely felt a bit of that). The reason 30 felt like a big deal for me is because it marked a transition into a whole new phase of life.

Mini Human Design Lesson

In Human Design, we each have something in our charts called our profile, which is taken from the I-Ching. There are six “lines” of the I-Ching, each of which correspond to an archetype. Combinations of these archetypes make up our profiles. Your profile will be listed when you look up your chart for free.

If you happen to have a “6” in your profile like I do, as either the first or the second number, you have what is called the Role Model archetype. Part of having a “6” in your profile means that your life is divided into three distinct phases: 0-30, 30-50, and 50 until you die.

The 0-30 phase is all about trial and error. In this phase, the “6” line functions more like a “3”, which is all about learning through experience. People with a “3” in their profile will experience this throughout the lifespan. People with a “6” in their profile will experience this trial and error phase quite intensely for the first 30 years, before moving on to the next phase.

Phase two, from 30-50 years, is when the “6” person truly begins to embody the Role Model archetype. We go “up on the roof”, so to speak, and become observers and guides rather than thrashing through the thick of things. We take the lessons we learned from the crazy first phase of life and use them to act as Role Models for others.

At age 50, “6” profiles are “kicked off” the roof, and rejoin society in a bigger way. Now, they are role models not from afar, but from the thick of things – “among the people”, so to speak, once again.

Potential “6” profiles are: 3/6, 4/6, 6/2, and 6/3. If you are a 3/6 or 6/3, your life before age 30 will have been/currently is especially exciting, since your “6” will be functioning as a “3” and you will be a 3/3 profile for those years. This is doubled down on the trial and error method of learning and growth. When you turn 30 things should calm down somewhat, but you will never experience the same “on the roof” period that 4/6s and 6/2s do, as your 3rd line will be constantly forcing you back into the action of life!

As a 6/2 profile (the “2” is the Hermit archetype for those who are curious… so I am a Role Model/Hermit, which is hilariously accurate to anyone who knows me!) who has just newly entered into the “roof” phase of life, I already feel a shift in the way I am interacting with the world. In my 0-30 phase, especially in my 20s when I had the most freedom, the periods of my life where I felt calm and stable were few and far between.

Looking back, here are some things I experimented with through the trial and error first phase of life:

Studying many different subjects at the post-secondary level (Pure Sciences, Education, Music, Social Sciences, and finally Psychology)
Attending six different post-secondary institutions to accomplish the above

Living in four different provinces and moving a total of 14 times
Dating a wide variety of guys, all of whom were so different that it is hilarious to picture almost any of them in a room together because they would have so little in common
Working in a variety of different fields, from childcare to customer service to teaching to product development to psychology, among others
Testing out life in one of Canada’s biggest cities, and many of Canada’s small towns (Before finally deciding I want to live in the small town where I grew up from ages 4-17)
Participating in many different sports and activities, from team sports to Ultra Marathons, including going to World Championships in the sport of Ski Mountaineering

There are definitely others, but these are the big ones. These are the experiences that sometimes ended up feeling like mistakes. I used to beat myself up time and time again for “getting it wrong.” I seemed to change my mind a lot - being super stoked about something for a period of time before moving on to something else. If I had known earlier what it meant to be a “6”, I would have likely enjoyed the ride a little more (not that I didn’t enjoy it. I am pretty good at finding humour and lessons in even the hardest transitions).

Final Thoughts

So, for those with a “6” in their profile who are under 30, or perhaps in their early 30s and feeling like you have failed so many times, take heart. All of those experiences have made you stronger, wiser, and ready to step into and embody the Role Model archetype you were born to be.

For those with a “3” in their profile, good luck to you! You are in the trial and error zone for life. You need to try things to see if they work – that is just how it is for you. However, take heart because this process will be less intense than phase one for a “6” profile, because it is spread out across the lifespan. Your “mistakes” are not mistakes, they are lessons. Keep going.

And for those with neither a “3” or a “6” in their profile, my message for you is that everyone goes through the three phases of the “6” profile in one way or another. They are just less noticeable and intense. But we all go through a Saturn Return around age 30 and a Chiron return around age 50 that usher us in to the next stage.

For now, in these first few weeks of being 30, I am taking a breather and enjoying the view from the roof. It does feel different energetically. It feels slightly boring actually, but in a good way. I feel more confident in who I am than ever before, and as though I have tried enough different jobs/fields of study/homes/relationships to know what I truly want. It is a breath of fresh air, and a great place to be. It is with mixed feelings that I leave behind the insanity of my 20s. They were a ton of fun and I am glad that they happened. But, at the same time, I am ready for the abundance and opportunities that this next phase will bring.

If you’re currently going through a big life transition, questioning what steps to take, feeling lost, or wondering what your strengths are, a Human Design Reading could be for you.

If you are a current or former athlete wondering how to move your body in a healthier, more aligned way, a Movement Consultation or the Made to Move Guidebook could be for you.

If you are completely new to Human Design and would like to access my free resources, you can look up your chart for free here and download my free Intro to Human Design Guidebook here.