Most college prep can be divided into three categories.

1. Things you must do.

Taking standardized tests falls in this category. Unless you apply to exclusively test-optional colleges (and there are more of them than ever before), if you want to go to a four-year college, you’ll probably have to take the SAT or ACT. You don’t want to do it. There’s no healthy reason you should do it (not one that benefits you intellectually, physically, emotionally, etc.). It’s just something you have to do.

2. Things you should do.

Take studying, for example. There’s no law that says you have to do it. And until you get to college, when you have more freedom to choose what you learn, it may not be something you want to do. But studying makes you smarter and helps you earn better grades, which gives you more college options. It’s something you should do.

3. Things you want to do.

Hobbies, spending time with friends and family, anything you do that’s just for you—these go here (though a strong argument could be made that the physical and mental health benefits make these a “have-to-do”).

But the best and most satisfying results come when something fits multiple categories.

If you participate in activities you love—baseball, painting, working on the yearbook staff, holding a class office, etc.—you’re now hitting two categories—should-do and want-to-do.

If you like history and you get to take the course with your favorite teacher, that class now fits all three categories.

And here’s the corollary: the worst and least satisfying results come from things that don’t fit any of these categories.

That club you joined two years ago whose meetings you’ve been faithfully attending but never look forward to–exactly what category is that hitting?

If it’s not in any category, consider jettisoning that commitment and replacing it with something that hits one or more.