Last month, I had stomach flu for a week and when I felt better, I had to find my groove again. I noticed that I did everything to not write. I kept procrastinating.

Writing can be a tedious practice. It’s also very unnatural. You have to sit in front of a screen, blurt out a bunch of words that make sense, grab and keep your readers’ attention, and make it so that they get something valuable out of it.

If that’s not difficult, I don’t know what is.

Well, actually, I do know: Putting writing off. You sit in front of your desk… and you don’t write. We all go through these types of phases. And when I’m stuck, I check emails, social media, and do other things to distract myself.

“I don’t feel like writing,” I would tell myself. If people would only write when they felt like it, we probably wouldn’t have that many books and articles in the world. No, writing is something you just do, whether you’re in the mood or not.

Writers who procrastinate the least are the ones who eventually succeed.

Here are a few tips I applied to get back on track.

You don’t have to be perfect

So many writers think that their first draft has to be perfect. But look, there are not a lot of people who can write something good on the first try.

Writing is a process — not an event. It’s not like you have one chance at writing something. You write, let it sit, edit, write a bit more, edit more, maybe write some more.

If you set the bar too high at the beginning, you might just get too intimidated to even start.

That’s true for working out, forming new habits, or being more productive. We easily get discouraged when we look at a giant amount of work that needs to be done. But we don’t have to look at things that way. We can start with much smaller goals like: Write one sentence or paragraph.

Editing while writing is another mistake I had to unlearn when I first started. It’s very tempting to go back and forth on every sentence and paragraph you write. But you’re getting in the way of your own writing when you do that.

So start writing, and keep going. Always look at it as a process. Try not to think about appearances, or what other people might think or say. Focus on your work, let it rest for a few days, then edit later.

Rely on a system that makes it easier to write

It takes willpower to write. It takes willpower to do anything. Without any willpower, we’d all be couch potatoes. But that doesn’t mean we have to rely only on our willpower.

“I’m not motivated to write.” “I’m not feeling inspired to write.” These are things we say when our environment and habits aren’t supporting our writing.

It’s difficult to write when there are too many distractions. But that also doesn’t mean you have to be at a serene beach or a perfectly silent room to be able to write. Instead, see how you can make lifestyle adjustments to fit writing into the life you actually live.

I like Hemingway’s writing routine. He had various writing habits, but I focus on these two:

1. Write in the morning — You can write in the morning after doing your morning routine, like journaling or meditating. Or, if you’re like me, you can start just writing the moment you’re awake. If you’re not a morning person, you can also set specific times of the day where writing is more convenient
2. Stop at the height of your day — We all have a point in our day’s performance when things are going well. Hemingway says to stop at that point, so you’ll know how to continue it the following day. Don’t work more than you should.

Over the years, I’ve developed writing routines that have helped me get unstuck in my writing. You’ll want to do the same. What might work for me might do the opposite for you.

The important thing is that your routine makes you more productive, and that it works. There’s no sense in coming up with a routine that sounds nice but is so difficult that you can’t stick to the steps.

Improve your productivity

If you find yourself putting off your writing, you likely procrastinate in other areas of life as well, right? When I procrastinated, it was a habit. I would put off everything from paying the bills, to cleaning my house, to working on important goals.

But I learned it’s not pure willpower that’ll stop you from procrastinating: You need a system that makes it easier to be productive.

Improve your overall productivity, and this will carry over to your work and writing. Here are a few tips to make yourself more productive when you write:

• Set self-imposed deadlines — When we have too much freedom, or our deadlines are vague, it’s easy to keep putting things off. So create a realistic deadline for yourself and stick to it.
• Working in intervals — Humans have limited focus. The Pomodoro method is great for getting more focused work done.
• Exercise 30 minutes a day — Every writer I admire has an exercise routine. You don’t need to go to the gym (though it’s advisable if you can). Just perform exercises that strengthen your body and mind.
• Improve your diet — your food affects your mind. And you write mostly with your mind. Sure, there are famous hard-drinking writers out there. But it’s not good in the long run. You want to live long enough to enjoy the rewards of your writing, right?
• Eliminate distractions — Stop checking your email, social media, and whatnot. Try turning off unnecessary notifications and just write.
• Be internally driven — Every writer has a reason for writing. I personally enjoy the process, so regardless of the results of my writing, I’m happy. This is an internal drive, not an external drive, which is more focused on the approval of others.

Tune out the noise

We all think about many things when we write: What will others say about it? Will X publication take it? Is it any good? And so forth. It’s non-stop chatter — noise.

I manage those distractions by practicing mindfulness. But overall, I find that writing is pretty much like starting anything: Don’t overthink it, and focus on the first step.

Taking the first step can be hard. But you’re a writer with something to say. And no, you’re not just an “aspiring writer.” Every person who writes is a writer. Have you sent an email recently that got you a client? Or persuaded someone with your words? Then you’re a writer.

And when we write, we know it’s because we have something to say. So just say it. Even if you don’t write an article or book right that millions of people will read, you’ll get something out of the process.

That’s how all the best writers become the best: By writing a lot.