Ben Franklin's pros & cons list is a starting point, not a destination. Here is a complete framework for big decisions in your life.
The Starting Point
Ben Franklin's Original Method
Eleven Life Decisions Below
In 1772, Franklin described writing pros down one side and cons the other, then crossing out items of equal weight until one side prevailed. My father taught me this concept at a very young age — and it stayed with me. It's rational — and a powerful starting point.
Now the Success Coach Program takes it to the next level — with eleven real-life decisions that show you exactly how.
Worked Examples
Success Coach New Method
Below are eleven big life decisions — each run through deeper questions, with your answers scored at the end.
Click On The Box That Applies To You
💼
Decision: Leave my stable job for a new opportunity
✦ 0 Pros checked0 Cons checked ✦
Check items above to see your score
Each checked item counts toward your personal tally
🏠
Decision: Relocate to a new city
✦ 0 Pros checked0 Cons checked ✦
Check items above to see your score
Each checked item counts toward your personal tally
💔
Decision: End a long-term relationship
✦ 0 Pros checked0 Cons checked ✦
Check items above to see your score
Each checked item counts toward your personal tally
🌅
Decision: Retire now versus working longer
✦ 0 Pros checked0 Cons checked ✦
Check items above to see your score
Each checked item counts toward your personal tally
🏡
Decision: Sell your home or stay put
✦ 0 Pros checked0 Cons checked ✦
Check items above to see your score
Each checked item counts toward your personal tally
⛰️
Decision: How to respond when facing serious adversity
✦ 0 Strengths checked0 Challenges checked ✦
Check items above to see your score
Each checked item counts toward your personal tally
👶
Decision: Whether to have children
✦ 0 For checked0 Against checked ✦
Check items above to see your score
Each checked item counts toward your personal tally
🎓
Decision: Whether to continue or pursue further education
✦ 0 For checked0 Against checked ✦
Check items above to see your score
Each checked item counts toward your personal tally
✨
Decision: Committing to living better
✦ 0 For checked0 Against checked ✦
Check items above to see your score
Each checked item counts toward your personal tally
💞
Decision: Committing to a new relationship
✦ 0 For checked0 Against checked ✦
Check items above to see your score
Each checked item counts toward your personal tally
🎯
Decision: Tell us your big decision — we'll help you sort through it
Type your decision in plain language and we'll open the full framework for it.
To Remember
Six Principles of Good Deciding
Process over outcome
A good decision made with bad information can still go wrong. Judge your process, not just the result.
Emotion is data
Gut feelings encode pattern recognition your conscious mind can't articulate. Don't override them — interrogate them.
Name the real question
Often the stated decision hides a deeper one. "Should I quit?" may really be "Do I feel valued here?"
Seek disconfirmation
Actively look for reasons you might be wrong. Talk to people who will push back, not just validate.
Sleep on it
For high-stakes decisions, a night of sleep resets emotional interference. Never decide in peak anxiety.
Decide by design
Set a deadline in advance. Endless deliberation is its own decision — usually the wrong one.
