How to make a pros and cons list that actually works

If you want to know how to make a pros and cons list that actually works, weigh each item instead of just counting them. List the pros and cons for each real option, give every item a score from 1 to 5 based on how much it matters to you, then total the scores. Cut duplicates and trivial points, and pay attention to how you feel when you see the result, since that reaction is useful information too.

The pros and cons list is probably the oldest decision tool there is. It's also one of the most misused. Most people jot down two columns, count them, and either follow the longer column or ignore the list completely. Here's how to make one that earns its keep.

Why most pros and cons lists fail

Before fixing the list, it helps to see where it usually goes wrong.

• Counting instead of weighing. Seven small pros can outnumber one huge con. "Nicer kitchen" and "an hour more commuting each day" are not equal entries, but a plain list treats them that way.
• Comparing one option to nothing. "Pros and cons of moving" quietly compares moving to an imaginary version of staying where nothing is wrong. Staying has pros and cons too.
• Double-counting. "Better pay," "more savings" and "less money stress" might all be the same item written three ways.
• Listing trivia. Long lists feel thorough, but they bury the two or three things that really decide it.
• Writing it to confirm what you already want. If you've already decided, the list becomes a persuasive essay. That's fine if you know it, less fine if you don't.

The fixes are simple. They just take a few more minutes.

How to build a weighted pros and cons list

Step 1: Name your real options

Write the decision as a choice between at least two concrete alternatives. Not "Should I get a dog?" but "Get a dog this spring" versus "Wait a year." If there's a third option, like fostering first, include it.

Step 2: Brainstorm freely for each option

For each option, list every pro and con you can think of. Don't judge yet. Include practical stuff (money, time, logistics) and emotional stuff (how it'll feel, who it affects, what it says about who you want to be).

Step 3: Clean up the list

Now edit:

• Merge items that are really the same point.
• Cross off anything you wouldn't actually care about in a month.
• Rewrite vague items to be specific. "Expensive" becomes "about $150 a month in food and vet costs."

Step 4: Weight every item from 1 to 5

Go through each item and ask, "How much does this matter to me?" Use a simple scale:

• 1 = slightly nice or slightly annoying
• 3 = clearly matters
• 5 = a major factor, close to a dealbreaker

Pros get positive scores, cons get negative ones. Be honest. This step is where the list becomes yours rather than a generic set of considerations.

Step 5: Total each option

Add up the pros, subtract the cons, and compare totals across options. The higher total is your list's recommendation.

Step 6: Check your reaction

When you see the result, notice your gut response. Relief means the list confirmed something you wanted. Disappointment means you may have under-weighted something, or that you want the other option for reasons you haven't written down. Either way, it's a signal worth exploring before you commit. Our guide on gut feeling vs logic goes into how to use both.

A worked example: Sam and the dog

Say Sam has wanted a dog for years. Sam just started a new job and is wondering whether to adopt now or wait until next year. Here's the cleaned-up, weighted list.

Option A: Adopt this spring

Pros:

• Companionship during a lonely stretch in a new city (+5)
• Forces more walks and time outdoors (+3)
• A specific dog at the local shelter Sam already loves (+4)

Cons:

• New job has unpredictable hours for the first few months (-4)
• Would need a dog walker, about $300 a month (-3)
• Apartment lease allows dogs but charges a monthly pet fee (-1)

Total: +12 - 8 = +4

Option B: Wait a year

Pros:

• Time to settle into the job and know the real schedule (+4)
• Can save up for vet costs and supplies first (+3)

Cons:

• Another year of coming home to an empty apartment (-4)
• That particular dog will likely be adopted by someone else (-3)

Total: +7 - 7 = 0

Option A comes out ahead. Notice how a plain count would have been less useful: three pros and three cons for adopting, two and two for waiting. The weighting is what made the picture clear.

Sam's reaction to the result is mostly relief, with one nagging worry about the hours. So Sam makes a plan: talk to the manager about schedule predictability, line up a walker before adoption day, and ask the shelter whether there's a trial or foster-to-adopt option. If you're in a similar spot, it's worth looking at should I get a dog for more questions to ask yourself first.

Tips that make the list sharper

Add a "cost of waiting" line

For decisions with a timing element, include what you lose by delaying. Opportunities expire. Prices change. People move on. Not deciding has its own cons.

Separate "can't live with" from "would prefer not"

If any con is a true dealbreaker, mark it. A single dealbreaker should override a high score. If the dog's needs and your lease are truly incompatible, the math doesn't matter.

Write it down, don't just think it

Lists in your head tend to loop. Writing it down, even in a phone note, lets you see the whole picture at once and stops you from re-weighing the same item ten times.

Sleep on it, once

Do the list, then look at it again the next morning. If the weights still feel right, trust them. If something looks off with fresh eyes, adjust it. Then stop. Endless revision is just indecision with homework.

Ask one trusted person to review your weights

Not to decide for you, but to say, "You gave the commute a 1? You complain about traffic every day." Outside eyes catch blind spots in the weighting.

When a pros and cons list isn't enough

Weighted lists work well for two options and a handful of factors. They get unwieldy when:

• You have three or more options. A decision matrix, where you score every option against the same weighted criteria, keeps things organized.
• The factors are uncertain. If you don't know whether the job will be stable, it's hard to weight. Try writing best, worst and likely outcomes instead.
• The decision is deeply emotional. Lists can flatten things like love, grief or identity into numbers that don't fit. For decisions like whether to end a relationship, use the list as one input, not the final word.
• The options are trivially different. If you're listing the pros and cons of two nearly identical sweaters, just flip a coin. Save your energy.

Common questions people ask themselves mid-list

"What if a con is really important but unlikely?" Multiply roughly by how likely it feels. A severe but improbable risk might get a -2 instead of a -5. For anything involving health, safety or big money, though, check the actual odds with someone qualified instead of guessing.

"Should I include other people's opinions?" Include how the decision affects people you care about. Don't include "my aunt thinks it's a bad idea" as a con unless her view really matters to you.

"The list says one thing and I want the other. Now what?" That's not a failure. It often means there's a factor you haven't named. Ask yourself what it is and add it. If you still can't find it, you may simply want what you want, and that's allowed to count.

Make your next list in ten minutes

Here's the short version to try right now:

1. Write two real options at the top of a page.
2. List pros and cons under each, quickly.
3. Merge duplicates and cut trivia.
4. Score each item 1 to 5, plus for pros and minus for cons.
5. Total each option.
6. Notice your reaction and adjust once if something's missing.
7. Decide.

If you'd like a second read on your options after that, you can type the dilemma into Choice and see a clear recommendation with reasoning, then compare it with your list. When both point the same way, you can move forward with more confidence.

The bottom line

A pros and cons list works when you treat it as a weighing exercise, not a counting one. Compare real alternatives, weight what matters, cut the clutter, and listen to your reaction to the result. Done that way, the humble two-column list becomes one of the fastest routes from stuck to decided.