Really, whether you're looking at deciding on a business deal, accepting a promotion or one of the other major life decisions listed earlier, it can't hurt to make a note of the benefits and drawbacks. Identify the Decision You Need to Makeīefore you can start weighing pros and cons, figure out what decision you need to make and whether a pros and cons list is a good starting point. Ready to make a pros and cons list? Here are nine steps you can follow: 1. How to Make a Pros and Cons List Learn how to make a pros and cons list. In practice, no matter what decision you want to make, a pros and cons list can be used as a starting point and guide. And, of course, pros and cons lists can also be used for less important day to day decisions. You'll want to weigh up the benefits and drawbacks of beginning, continuing or ending. Pros and cons lists can also come in handy when starting and ending relationships, whether these are business or personal. This could be anything from choosing colleges to selecting the program you want to enroll in.Įxamples of pros and cons might include the faculty, the qualifications, the post-graduation job prospects and more. (Image source: Envato Elements)Īnother major life decision where you're likely to weigh pros and cons might relate to education. There are many examples of when a pros and cons list could help. In such a case, pros and cons examples might include access to shopping, schools, transport and so on. So, when do you need a pros and cons list? There are lots of situations in which a pros and cons list might come in handy.įor example, when you're making a major life decision, such as whether to accept or apply for a new job or role, you could make a pros and cons list to work out the advantages and disadvantages of doing so.Īnd if you're thinking of moving house, consider the advantages and disadvantages of moving at all, or of selecting particular locations. Weighing Pros and Cons: When to Make a List A good pros and cons list can help you make a difficult decision. But it'll help you as a tool to weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of a particular action. While creating a pros and cons lists works in all those situations, note that the act of making the list doesn't guarantee the right decision. In some cases, creating pros and cons lists can help the decider be more objective about the decision, and can also speed up the decision-making process. A foundational reason is having difficulty making a decision, or having lots of options on the table that you need to choose from. There are several reasons why it makes sense to make a list when weighing pros and cons. Why Make a Pros and Cons List? Are you weighing pros and cons for an important decision? (Image source: Envato Elements) This provides an early example of how to make a pros and cons list. One story that's told about the creation of a pros and cons list is that this method of weighing pros and cons was mentioned in a letter from Benjamin Franklin to Jacob Joseph Priestley in September 1772.īenjamin Franklin suggested Priestley divide a sheet of paper into two columns, and write the pros in one column and the cons in another, to help guide a decision. You can think of cons as:Ī Possible History of the Pros and Cons List Was Benjamin Franklin one of the first users of a pros and cons list? (Image source: Envato Elements) It relates to the reasons not to do something or avoid a particular decision or action. In contrast, " con" comes from the Latin word " contra" meaning " against".
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