Why You’re Not Getting Anything Done (and How to Fix It)
September has arrived — cooler mornings, migrating birds, and the looming countdown to the end of the year. 🤯
Somehow, the final quarter sneaks up on us every single time.
And if you’re like most founders I work with, you probably started Q3 with ambitious goals and a solid plan. Lists, trackers, and big objectives ready to go.
But here’s the truth: sometimes, those lists just sit there. Gathering dust. Draining your energy.
So why aren’t you getting anything done?
Because you’ve got too much on your plate.
And that’s where the Ice Box comes in.
My Experience with the Ice Box
At the start of Q3, I set myself three meaty objectives. I was excited. Motivated. Ready to move the business forward.
Fast-forward to September, and guess what? Two of those objectives have been untouched since July. Every week I marked them “off track,” created action steps to bring them back on track… and then ignored them.
The problem wasn’t capability. It was priority.
Objective #1 (and client work) mattered more. But instead of facing that reality, I pretended I’d “get to it soon.”
And pretending is dangerous:
It drains your energy.
It creates distraction.
It holds back the work that actually matters.
That’s when I turned to one of my favourite tools — the Ice Box.
What Is an Ice Box in Project Management?
The concept of an Ice Box comes from software development, where teams constantly face endless backlogs of features, bugs, and requests. Not everything can be tackled at once — but that doesn’t mean it should be forgotten.
The Ice Box is a holding space for tasks, goals, or ideas that are important but not urgent.
Think of it like a freezer: the food is still good, you’re just saving it for later.
Unlike a “someday list” or abandoned goals, an Ice Box is a strategic tool. It tells your brain and your team: this matters, but not right now.
The Benefits of Using an Ice Box
When I introduced Ice Boxes on global tech projects, I saw immediate results:
Clarity: Teams could finally see what truly mattered this sprint or quarter.
Focus: Energy stopped leaking into half-hearted attempts at low-priority work.
Relief: Nobody had to keep pretending they’d magically get to “everything.”
Momentum: The important work moved forward faster, because distractions were frozen.
And the same logic applies to scaling a business.
How to Set Up an Ice Box for Your Business
Want to try it? Here’s a step-by-step framework:
Choose your platform.
Whether it’s Trello, Asana, ClickUp, Notion, or even a spreadsheet — open the place where you track your goals.Create a new column or list called “Ice Box.”
Make it visible, but not front and centre.Audit your current goals.
Ask yourself:Is this draining me?
Is this distracting me?
Is this truly important right now?
If the answer is “not yet,” move it into the Ice Box.
Relieve the pressure.
Once it’s there, stop pretending it’s a priority. Give yourself permission to focus on what actually matters.Review periodically.
At the start of each month or quarter, open the Ice Box. Some items will no longer be relevant (and can be deleted). Others may be ready to move back into focus.
Why the Ice Box Works
Scaling a business is not about doing more. It’s about doing the right things at the right time.
The Ice Box works because it eliminates the mental weight of pretending, while keeping important ideas safe until they matter.
It’s not abandoning your goals. It’s parking them with intention.
Final Word
So if you’re staring at a bloated to-do list and wondering why nothing’s getting done — it’s not you. It’s the fact that you’re trying to carry too much at once.
Put the non-essentials on ice.
Clear the way for what actually matters.
And watch your progress accelerate. 🧊