In terms of making decisions one can quickly become overwhelmed, at any one time, by the volume of information flooding into ones mind. This is no fun! Especially when a step really does need to be made. For example: To move, or not to move? Send the children to this school, or the other school? Register with this doctor, or that doctor? To go into hospital, or sweat it out at home? Often one can have several impending decisions all competing for attention. With the consequence that even one small step becomes almost impossible.
It would seem that Benjamin Franklin, no less, devised his own practical, and possibly fun, solution for weighing up the pro’s and con’s of taking a particular step. Potentially multiple steps. What he devised for himself is now being talked about as gamestorming. I think I will give it a try.
When these difficult Cases occur, they are difficult chiefly because while we have them under Consideration all the Reasons pro and con are not present to the Mind at the same time; but sometimes one Set present themselves, and at other times another, the first being out of Sight. Hence the various Purposes or Inclinations that alternately prevail, and the Uncertainty that perplexes us.
Benjamin Franklin, described by him in a 1772 letter to Joseph Priestley.
Gamestorming Blog- Pro/Con List