PA-28 Cherokee/Archer/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Commercial
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 75; Flight Crew Total 840; Flight Crew Type 125
Situational Awareness; Confusion; Distraction
Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown; Ground Excursion Runway
Human Factors
I was inbound to ZZZ to pick up a part for an aircraft that was part of our fleet. I was intending to use the grass strip (RWY XX) to get some grass landing practice in. The aircraft in the pattern were using Runway 12; so I had to be extra careful to sequence myself into the pattern to not cause a collision hazard. As I was turning final approach; I located the 'threshold markers' and positioned myself for a landing. I glanced at Runway 12 to make sure no one was coming in on that runway; at the same time however; I veered to the left of my intended approach path. When I looked up; I saw the grass in front of me and thought that I was still in line with the runway; however; I was not and actually I was to the left of the runway and ended up landing in a dirt/grass area. I only noticed that I landed off the runway after I saw a cloud of dust in trail of my aircraft. Nothing was damaged on the ground or the plane.  Bottom line; I should have went around and there is no other way to put it. If I was not 100% sure between the multicolored landing area that I was lined up for the runway; I should have went around. There is no room for uncertainty on landing.
Pilot flying PA28 aircraft veered off flight path on approach and landed off runway.