Why People Who Love Their Lives (and Families) Refuse to Waste Time on Small Talk
Time is your most valuable asset
Time Is a Non-Renewable Resource, For You and Your Kids
You can always make more money, but can’t make more time; this truth becomes more critical and obvious when you have kids.
Parents who love their lives and families understand that every moment spent on meaningless small talk, unnecessary meetings, or mindless scrolling isn’t just stealing time from them. It’s stealing time from their children.
And that’s why the most fulfilled parents avoid pointless conversations.
The best people I know don’t waste their time gossiping during school pick-up or spending hours on group texts discussing trivial matters…
They recognize that those are minutes and hours they can never get back; it’s time that could be spent reading with their child, playing outside, or having genuine, meaningful conversations at the dinner table.
Beyond the “picture perfect” moments, they could also be spent working on inner issues, learning about important events worldwide, or researching opportunities to grow themselves further.
Busy Doesn’t Mean Present: Why Parents Must Be Intentional with Their Time
Too often, we confuse being busy with being productive and present.
Parents who are more self-aware know that productivity isn’t about doing more things, it’s about doing the things that matter.
Don’t just schedule activities; create moments.
Don’t just check off to-do lists; make memories.
I believe that more people, especially parents, need to recognize that small talk and unnecessary obligations aren’t just harmless distractions but barriers to real connection and optimizing one’s growth.
When you become intentional with your time, you stop filling your schedule with empty busyness, because you see it for what it is, made up of civility. There’s nothing appropriate about normalizing pointless things, and that’s not to say everything needs to be productive and busy.
My good friend Anthony Migliorino and I have spoken many times about the importance of “free time”; having time with family and friends that is construction free, meaning, it’s play time or fun time. The importance of the value found in these moments cannot be overstated.
With that understanding, I hope you can see the difference between wasting time and free time; one is needed, the other needs to be removed.
How to Stop Wasting Time Like Someone Who Loves Their Life, and Family
1. Audit Your Conversations:
Pay attention to how much time you spend in casual, surface-level conversations versus meaningful interactions. Are you engaging in deep discussions with your kids, or are you too drained from small talk with acquaintances?
2. Cut the Fluff:
Be direct but kind.
A simple “I have to get going” is enough to exit a conversation that isn’t adding value to your life.
Use this extra time to be with your family or working on yourself.
3. Master the Art of Saying “No.”:
Decline obligations that take you away from quality time with your loved ones.
If it doesn’t serve you or your family’s well-being, let it go.
“No.” is a complete sentence.
- Zac Small
4. Prioritize Deep Connections:
Choose meaningful conversations over superficial ones.
Instead of chatting about the weather with a coworker, chat about their goals, adventures, or past. Instead of gossiping with other parents, engage in a real conversation with them about parenting.
5. Treat Time Like Money:
Before committing to any social obligation, ask yourself: “Is this worth my time investment?”;
If it’s not, walk away.
The Freedom of Owning Your Time, For You + Your Family
Living your best life isn’t about adding more hours; it’s about intentionally using the hours you have.
When you stop tolerating time-vampires, you make room for what matters: Fulfilling work and meaningful relationships.
For families, prioritizing these moments will make your marriage and parenthood more rewarding.
The next time you feel pressured to engage in small talk or attend a pointless meeting, remember that people who cherish their lives and families don’t waste their time…
Neither should you.
- Zac Small