A thermally-assisted recording (TAR) disk drive operates by turning on write current prior to the application of heat to the recording layer by the near-field transducer (NFT). In a TAR disk drive that uses thermal fly-height control (TFC), TFC power is at a first power level that keeps the write pole at a predetermined fly-height. The write current is then turned on, either simultaneously with or after a reduction in TFC power. The write pole then reaches its optimal fly-height as a result of the combination of write pole protrusion caused by the write current and retraction of the write pole caused by the reduction in TFC power. After the write pole has reached its optimal fly-height, heat is applied to the recording layer by the NFT. The combination of write current and heat causes writing to occur at the optimal write pole fly-height.