Pros and Cons List Template (T-Chart)
A pros and cons list puts the good and the bad of one choice side by side. With both columns on a single page, it is harder to decide on only what worries you or only what excites you.
A well-known early version is Benjamin Franklin's. In a 1772 letter to the scientist Joseph Priestley he described a way of writing down the reasons for and against a choice and weighing them. This template lays the good and the bad out side by side, with the question of whether to move home as the example.
Scroll sideways to see the whole diagram
Start from this diagram and edit it on your own board.
By continuing, you agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, including sending images of your strokes, diagram labels and similar data to providers in the United States (Cloudflare, Inc. and TypeSafe AI, Inc.) for AI conversion.
What each part does
- Should I move?
- The question at the top. Write what you are unsure about so that it can be answered yes or no.
- Pros
- The left column: what gets better if you do it. Write whatever comes to mind, in any order.
- Cons
- The right column: what gets worse, what it costs and what you would give up.
- Verdict: move if I can afford it
- The line at the bottom. Write it after comparing the columns, with the condition that decides it if there is one.
How to fill it in
- Write what you are deciding as a question at the top.
- Write the good points on the left and the bad points on the right, as they come to you.
- If a point on one side weighs about the same as one on the other, draw a line through both.
- Mark the points that matter most to you.
- Look at what is left and write your verdict. If you are still unsure, add what you need to find out.
When to use it
- Deciding whether to move, change jobs or make a big purchase.
- Deciding together with family or friends by putting everyone's points on one page.
- Checking a decision your gut already made.
Common variations
Weigh the points that matter
Mark the heavy points, such as the rent, with a star or a colour. To compare with numbers, use the decision matrix instead.
More than two options
A pros and cons list suits a yes or no question. To pick from three or more options, use a decision matrix.
Add a column of things to find out
A third column for what you do not know yet shows what to check before you decide.
Make it yours
Replace the question and the points with your own. Three to five points a side are easy to read.
Opens this diagram as a board you can edit.
By continuing, you agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, including sending images of your strokes, diagram labels and similar data to providers in the United States (Cloudflare, Inc. and TypeSafe AI, Inc.) for AI conversion.