Au Natural

So my plan is to cut out my relaxer this year. I want the option of wearing it straight or having tight Afro curls, and hopefully I can achieve it...this time. I've done this before, only to become frustrated after a while and than put it in again. My hope is that this time, with the right softening products I'll be able to have my cake and eat it too.

When it's natural my hair doesn't curl up the way I like in the back the way I'd like, which precludes me from having the type of "Afro" style that I like to casual occasions. Any suggestions on getting my hair to be a more uniform texture?