I say go for the big chop! I completely skipped the transition stage. I'm not big on patience and didn't have the time for it. I was a little scared so I got my hair texturized, but 7 months later I see that I didn't need it AT ALL. Surprisingly, I haven't had any big bouts of frustration. Sure, every now and then I don't know what to do with it, but I am currently rocking the shake-n-go and I am LOVING it. Now all I have to do is find a way to get the look that I want w/o having to wash my hair everyday, hehe. It's not drying out or anything but I do have to get up an extra hour to give it enough time to dry (either on its own or with the help of a hood dryer). I've cut my product use down to Healthy Hair Butter (only used on the edges) and oil sheen so that it doesn't get very brittle. Sorry for such a long comment, but I get excited when it comes time to sharing hair tips.