Behavioral Pattern Journal — Template

Behavioral Pattern Journal — Template

Use this as needed whenever you notice yourself repeating a behavior you can’t explain in the moment (procrastination, snapping at someone, skipping a habit). It uses the ABC model (Antecedent → Behavior → Consequence) from applied behavior analysis to make the trigger visible. Log 3-5 instances before looking for the pattern.

• Pattern under investigation: [FILL: e.g. “procrastinating on writing”]
• Tracking window: [FILL: start date] → [FILL: end date]

---

1. Instance Log

Log each occurrence as it happens — don’t wait until end of day, the antecedent is easiest to recall in the moment.

#	Date/Time	Antecedent (what happened right before)	Behavior (what I actually did)	Consequence (what happened right after — reward or relief)
1	[FILL]	[FILL]	[FILL]	[FILL]
2	[FILL]	[FILL]	[FILL]	[FILL]
3	[FILL]	[FILL]	[FILL]	[FILL]
4	[FILL]	[FILL]	[FILL]	[FILL]
5	[FILL]	[FILL]	[FILL]	[FILL]

2. Pattern Analysis

After 3+ instances, look across the table for what repeats.

• Common antecedent(s): [FILL]
• Common consequence (the pay-off that reinforces this behavior): [FILL]
• Frequency: [FILL: e.g. “4 of 5 times this happened on Mondays before a 1:1”]

3. Reframe

• What need is the behavior actually meeting? [FILL]
• What’s a replacement behavior that meets the same need without the downside? [FILL]
• What antecedent can I change or remove to break the chain? [FILL]

4. Follow-up

• Re-check this pattern in [FILL: 2 weeks] to see if the replacement behavior held
• [FILL: any environment change to make, e.g. “phone in another room during writing block”]

---

Reference: Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence (ABC) is the core unit of analysis in applied behavior analysis — the antecedent and consequence are usually more changeable than the behavior itself.