If you struggle with procrastination, you’ve probably tried to figure out why you put off doing things. And when you get really fed up, you probably berate yourself for being “lazy.”

Well, take heart. People procrastinate for many reasons but laziness is rarely one of them.

First let’s look at what being “lazy” really means. A Google search of the word lazy generates synonyms such as “idle,” “slothful,” “shiftless, “indolent,” “sluggish,” and “inactive.” Laziness is defined as “resistant to work or exertion.” All of these descriptions convey a very negative—and when invoked to explain procrastination—inaccurate impression of what’s really going on inside a procrastinator’s head.

Sure, we all have lazy days when we don’t feel like doing much and don’t get much done. And from the outside, a chronic procrastinator’s wheel spinning might look like sloth, indifference, or irresponsibility. But scratch the surface and you’ll find a far more complex picture.

Does just thinking about tackling a big project make your head spin? If so, you might procrastinate because organization is a challenge for you. You may find it hard to break a large assignment into smaller, more manageable steps. So you avoid getting started because you don’t even know where to begin.

Do you typically underestimate how long it will take to complete a task? If you have problems managing your time, you might put off a project because you fool yourself into believing you’ll have ample room in your schedule to get it done. Then, when the deadline looms and you can’t avoid it any longer, you panic.

Do you drag your feet on logging expenses, documenting billable hours, writing reports, and paying bills but love going after new business or coming up with innovative, big picture ideas? You might thrive on stimulation and procrastinate because you have trouble following through with boring, routine tasks.

Poor organizational skills, difficulties with time management, and problems with attention all can cause procrastination.  There’s also  another very common, but often unrecognized, reason behind procrastination in people who’d never be considered lazy. I’ll tell you about it in my next post.