Inversions are very, very, very important. If you played root position for every single chord, you'd be hopping all over the place. I know you don't want that. Inversions create smoother transitions from chord to chord. If you ever have to play w/out a sustain pedal, inversions will be an invaluable tool to have in your arsenal.
A simple way to get used to chord inversions is by playing chord arpeggios (each not one at a time). Start with the root position, then go to the 1st inversion, then 2nd (or however many inversions there are). After you can play arpeggios pretty good, play the chords block style. Use the same fingers you used during the arpeggios to play the block chords.