The Art of “Just Doing It”
When I started writing Crowned in the Chaos: A Girl’s Guide to Surviving College and Finding Yourself, I had no publisher, no team, no “how-to” manual. What I did have was a story, a vision that wouldn’t leave me alone, and a kind of stubborn focus that refused to fade even when everything felt uncertain.
Creating this guide was not a Pinterest-perfect process. It was trial and error. It was late nights and long pauses. It was learning by doing, fumbling through design programs, re-editing chapters that didn’t feel right, and teaching myself what I didn’t know yet. But somewhere between all the drafts, doubts, and design tweaks, I realized something powerful: You don’t wait for the perfect moment to start. You create it.
The Truth About “Just Doing It”
People love to say, “just do it.” But the truth? Doing it can be hard, messy, and uncomfortable.
You’ll doubt yourself. You’ll overthink. You’ll question whether your voice matters in a world already so loud. And yet, if you keep showing up, something shifts. You stop waiting for permission and start realizing you never needed it in the first place. That’s what writing this guide taught me. That’s what publishing independently taught me. The magic isn’t in having it all figured out; it’s in the moments you move forward anyway.
The Power of Independence
Being an independent publisher means freedom — not the easy kind, but the fierce kind. The kind that requires you to trust your own instincts. To build something that looks like you, not what you think it’s supposed to look like.
I designed every page, every detail, every word of Crowned in the Chaos. And through it all, I learned that creative ownership isn’t just about control, it’s about connection. When you put your heart into something, people feel it. They see your fingerprints on every page. There’s power and truth in that.
If You’re Sitting on a Dream — Start
If there’s something tugging at you — a book idea, a business, a passion you keep pushing to “later” — this is your reminder: there’s no perfect time. Start where you are with what you have. Even if it’s messy or small.
You don’t have to have all the answers to begin. You just need enough courage to take the next step, and the discipline to keep taking them when it gets hard. Every mistake is information, and every setback is a redirection. Every chapter, even the chaotic ones, is part of your story. And one day, you’ll look back and realize that the thing that once scared you the most became the thing that made you who you are.
A Final Word
Crowned in the Chaos was born out of a season that was anything but calm. It’s an interactive guide for young women navigating the noise — filled with affirmations, journal prompts, and reflections to help them find themselves in the middle of it all. Because the truth is, chaos isn’t something to run from. It’s something to rise through. It’s the fire that shapes you and the space where your crown begins to form.
So if you’re standing at the edge of your own beginning — this is your sign. Start. Build. Create. Fall. Learn. Rise. Do it scared. Do it unsure. But for the love of your own becoming, just do it anyway.
With truth and purpose,
Lauren Taylor
