How To Use a Pleasure-Predicting Sheet

Can you really predict just how much you'll enjoy something or not? In Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy Revised and Updated, David Burns writes about a technique for testing your belief that there is no point in doing anything. It's a Pleasure-Predicting Sheet.

What I like most about this technique is it’s test-driven. By recording your expected pleasure against your results, you get a quick reality check of potentially self-limiting behavior or thoughts. It's one thing to think you will or won't enjoy something. It's another to take action and measure the results. Maybe some of the things you think "should" bring you pleasure, actually don't. On the other hand, maybe some of the things you think you won't enjoy as much, bring you more satisfaction than you expected.

Overview
The Pleasure-Predicting Sheet is a technique you use to record your estimated expected pleasure against your actual pleasure. You schedule a set of activities that contain a potential for personal growth or satisfaction. You do some of them by yourself and some with others. You predict your pleasure before the activities, and then record the actual results, after the events.

Summary of Steps

• Step 1. Create the Pleasure Predicting Sheet.
• Step 2. Write down your pleasure activities.
• Step 3. Predict your satisfaction.
• Step 4. Record your actual satisfaction.

Step 1. Create the Pleasure Predicting Sheet.
To create the Pleasure Predicting Sheet:

1. Draw four lines down the center of a piece of paper to divide it into five columns.
2. Label the columns: Data, Activity for Satisfaction, Who You Did This With, Predicted Satisfaction (0-100%), Actual Satisfaction(0-100%)

Step 2. Write down your pleasure activities.
Write down the activities, the date, and who you will do them with. If alone, then specify self.

Step 3. Predict your satisfaction.
Write down your prediction of how much satisfaction you’ll get on a scale from 0 to 100%.

Step 4. Record your actual satisfaction.
After you perform the activities, write down your actual satisfaction.

Example Pleasure-Predicting Sheet
Burns include an example Pleasure-Predicting Sheet:

Date	Activity for Satisfaction	Who You Did This With	Predicted Satisfaction(0-100%)	Actual Satisfaction(0-100%)
8/2/99	Reading (1 hour)	self	50%	60%
8/3/99	Dinner + bar w/Ben	Ben	80%	90%
8/4/99	Susan's party	self	80%	85%
8/5/99	N.Y.C. and Aunt Helen	parents and grandma	40%	30%
8/5/99	Nancy's House	Nancy and Joelle	75%	65%
8/6/99	Dinner at Nancy's	12 people	60%	80%
9/6/99	Lucy's party	Lucy + 5 people	70%	70%
8/7/99	Jogging	self	60%	90%
8/8/99	Theater	Luci	80%	70%
8/9/99	Harry's	Harry, Jack, Ben and Jim	60%	85%
8/10/99	Jogging	self	70%	80%
8/10/99	Phillies game.	Dad	50%	70%
8/11/99	Dinner.	Susan and Ben	70%	70%
8/12/99	Art museum	self	60%	70%
8/12/99	Peabody's	Fred	80%	85%
8/13/99	Jogging	self	70%	80%

My Related Posts

• 13 Negative Motivation Patterns
• How To Use a Daily Record of Dysfunctional Thoughts
• How To Use an Antiprocrastination Sheet