ADHD when plans change is something I live with, and on day 2088 of my daily run vlog I want to talk about it plainly.

I have ADHD. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder means my mind runs at a faster rate than most. Distraction arrives easily. Hyper focus arrives too. There are real strengths here, and there are real limits. Today I met one of the limits.

What happened

I was skiing with my family. We had spent time planning the day: the routes we wanted to take and the order we wanted to take them in. Then high winds disrupted one of the chair lifts. I queued for about 25 minutes, only to be told the lift would not open again.

I walked back to my family with no plan. We had to build a contingency at short notice, after all the time we had spent on the original.

How my ADHD mind reacts

When I draw up a plan, my mind fixes on the plan. The plan becomes gospel. I am set on delivering the plan as closely as possible. When something changes at the last minute, with no notice, I do not know how to react. The change throws me out.

Today the frustration was strong enough that I almost did not want to go out. The feeling is hard to describe. I felt as if I had broken down, as if I had been defeated. I felt low. I felt I had let myself down and let other people down.

The truth is I had not. Wind is outside my control. Nobody in my family blamed me for a chair lift. But a fixated mind does not weigh the facts fairly in the moment. The feeling sits heavy and takes effort to shift.

What helps me

Awareness helps most. I know this pattern now, and knowing gives me a place to start.

My wife knows my symptoms well. When I am disappointed, she puts an arm around me and reminds me this is not the end of the world and we are able to do something else. I do not enjoy hearing this at first. Eventually the words bring me round, and the whole day stays intact.

When I am on my own, the outcome differs. I have sulked and skulked around and done nothing for the rest of the day. This does not help me or anyone near me. Having someone who understands my mind changes the result of the same disappointment.

The lesson for me today

If you have ADHD, learn about it. If someone close to you has ADHD, learn about it too. Understand the symptoms. Understand how the mind responds to certain situations. Once you know the pattern, you are able to put coping mechanisms in place.

Here is what I am taking from today as my own reflection:

I will agree a second option before the day starts, so a change of plan is not a surprise.

I will name the feeling early. Disappointment is a response to a plan, and the plan is not me.

I will tell someone close to me rather than carry the frustration alone.

I will remind myself of the plain fact: I did not fail. The weather changed.

I do believe ADHD is able to be a superpower when understood and supported. That is a topic for another day.

How this connects to the streak

My daily running streak depends on the same skill. Plans for a run change. Weather, tiredness, family days and travel all move things around. The streak has survived 2088 days because I adjust the plan and keep the commitment. Consistency matters more to me than a perfect schedule. A plan is a tool, and the commitment is the thing I protect.

I was reminded today that this flexibility is not natural for my mind. I practise it, and I am still practising.

The mission

I am running every day to complete 40,075km, a lap of the world, in barefoot-style footwear. After 2088 consecutive days I have covered 16,090.73km, which leaves 23,984.27km to go. The aim is to raise £1M for children's causes, including Great Ormond Street and BBC Children in Need.

Every day matters because more people in front of the mission means more support for children. This is why I show up daily, even on days when the plan falls apart.

If you live with ADHD, or love someone who does, I would like to hear how you handle a change of plan. Leave a comment and I will reply to anything relevant. If you believe in the mission, please watch the episode, subscribe and share.

Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/Iqt-J8PU5wI