Pros and cons list maker

Type the change you are weighing, then fill four boxes: what is good and bad about making it, and what is good and bad about leaving things as they are. Give each line a weight from one to three dots, read the two totals, and pick a day to decide.

It works in your browser. Nothing you type is sent or saved, and the finished list prints on its own, without the rest of the page.

  • Free
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  • Nothing you type in the tools leaves your device

One change. The other side is keeping things as they are.

Fill any box in any order. Mark how heavy each line feels to you: ● a little, ●● quite a lot, ●●● a great deal.

Good things about changing
Downsides of changing
Good things about keeping it as it is
Downsides of keeping it as it is

Write at least one line for changing and one for keeping things as they are to see both sides added up.

How to make a pros and cons list

  1. Write the change as one line you could say yes or no to: “move back to my home town”, not “sort my life out”.
  2. Start with whichever box comes easiest. Short lines are fine; one thought per line.
  3. Then fill the boxes you skipped, especially the two about staying put.
  4. Mark each line one, two or three dots for how much it weighs with you, not with anyone else.
  5. Read the totals, then read the lines again. Ask which single line you would miss most if it went.

For a problem that can be solved, the NHS suggests thinking of possible solutions, then writing down the pros and cons of each, whether it is likely to work and whether you have what you need to try it. Then choose one to try and plan it: what you will do, whether you need anyone's support, how much time you need and when you will do it.

Why four boxes instead of two columns

A two-column list asks “pros or cons?” about the change alone. Keeping things as they are is a choice too, with its own gains and costs, so this template gives it two boxes of its own. A line can turn up in more than one box in different words: “a shorter commute” as a plus of moving and “the long commute” as a minus of staying. That is fine; write it where it comes to mind.

The totals add the weights of the lines that point towards the change (its pros, and the downsides of staying) and of the lines that point towards no change (its downsides, and the good things about staying). They show how your list leans. They do not decide anything, and a tie stays a tie.

Sleep on it, then set a date

When the list is done, you do not have to choose tonight. Put it away, read it again tomorrow, and see whether any weight wants to change. Then write a date: on that day you choose with what you know then, even if a question is still open.

If a line keeps saying “I don’t know yet”, that is the thing to find out first. The tool has a box for it.

More than one option on the table?

This list weighs a single change against staying where you are. If you are choosing between two or more different paths, such as three job offers, the decision breaker lets you score each one on what matters to you.

Blank pros and cons template

Prefer pen and paper? Print this sheet, write the change at the top, and fill the four boxes. Write one, two or three dots after each line for how much it weighs.

The change I’m weighing

Good things about changing

Downsides of changing

Good things about keeping it as it is

Downsides of keeping it as it is

I’ll decide by

Free printable from Overthinking.today

Questions people ask

What if the totals point one way and my gut points the other?

Look for the line your gut is protecting. Sometimes it is missing from the list, sometimes it deserves three dots instead of one. Change the list, not your feeling, and read the totals again.

Do I have to finish it in one go?

No. Fill what you can now, print it, and add lines on paper over the next few days. When you come back, use the blank template or type the list in again.

Is my list saved anywhere?

No. It exists only on this page while the tab is open. Print it or save it as a PDF from the print dialog if you want to keep it.

When to get help

These are self-help tools, not medical advice or a diagnosis. Talk to a doctor, or to one of the lines below, if:

  • you have thoughts of harming yourself (see the lines below).
  • you feel low or hopeless, and it is not lifting. The NHS suggests seeing a GP if you have had a low mood for more than 2 weeks, or if the things you are trying yourself are not helping.
  • the worry is getting in the way of your daily life. The NHS suggests talking to a GP if anxiety is affecting your daily life.
  • the thoughts feel unwanted and push you to check things or ask for reassurance again and again. OCD involves unwanted, intrusive thoughts that keep coming back, and compulsions such as asking for reassurance or checking. The NHS says it is important to get help if it has a significant impact on your life.

Lines you can call

  • US:988 Suicide & Crisis LifelineCall or text 988Free and confidential, 24/7. You can also chat at 988lifeline.org.
  • UK & Ireland:Samaritans116 123Free to call, day or night.
  • England:NHS 111111, mental health optionUrgent help from the NHS when it is not an emergency.

In the US, in life-threatening situations, call 911. In the UK, if someone's life is at risk, call 999 or go to A&E. For urgent help in England, use NHS 111 online or call 111 and choose the mental health option. Elsewhere, call your local emergency number.

Sources

  1. Problem solving. NHS Every Mind Matters. nhs.uk
  2. Low mood, sadness and depression. NHS. nhs.uk
  3. Anxiety. NHS Every Mind Matters. nhs.uk
  4. Symptoms - Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). NHS. nhs.uk
  5. Where to get urgent help for mental health. NHS. nhs.uk
  6. Suicide Prevention. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). nimh.nih.gov
  7. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. 988lifeline.org
  8. Contact a Samaritan. Samaritans. samaritans.org

Sources checked claim by claim by an AI review. Approved for publishing by Oleksii Y. on 2026-10-05.

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