Vince Gill is one of the most successful musicians of all time.
In 1980, he sang lead on a pop song that was a major hit.
He then struggled to forge a solo career in country music before finally hit the big time in the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s.
Recently he’s been moonlighting with the Eagles on their tours.
There isn’t much the guy can’t do…except send text messages.
In a recent interview Vince talked about his lack of texting and social media. In a world where most people spend around 11 hours per day consuming media, it’s incredible that Vince Gill just says, Nah, don’t need that.
It’s easy to listen to Vince talk about his lack of phone use and write him off as just another baby boomer luddite. Just an old man talking about how technology is bad and about how the old days were the best.
But I don’t think that’s what Vince is doing at all. I think he’s actually taking a very practical approach to his life and what he chooses to focus on.
To Vince, texting and social media are tools. Just like a hammer. For many people, social media is a great tool. It’s a way to create content that can build a business. It’s a way to connect with people that can lead to a fulfilling life in many ways.
But in our lives we have decisions to make. Of those many decisions, choosing what tools to use is very important.
A hammer is a great tool for many people. Hammers have built incredible things including fortunes for many successful builders and carpenters. But most of us probably can’t remember the last time we picked up a hammer.
A basketball has brought incredible return in time and energy investment for LeBron James. A tennis racket has done the same for Roger Federer.
Elton John doesn’t have a cell phone. It would be difficult to argue that he should step away from a piano, though, to spend more time sending texts and checking his Instagram feed.
We are surrounded by tools. Any of them present an incredible opportunity. But the reality is that not every tool presents the same opportunity for each of us. We have our strengths and weaknesses. We have our own interests and ambitions.
We live in an incredible era. Nearly unlimited opportunity. In opposition to our ancestors, we have the challenge of trying to figure out what not to do with our lives. Cal Newport talks about it in his new book. He doesn’t see that new technology and tools as being bad. But they do present a challenge if we misuse them.
The phone is a great tool. Texting is wonderful. Social media can be wonderful.
But are they necessary?
Certainly not for everyone. Vince Gill seems to be getting along just fine.
He’s not anti-social media. He just realizes that his time is better spent doing other things. Like honing his guitar skills, writing new songs and spending time with his wife and friends.
The challenge for us all is figuring out what tools to use and how to spend our time so we come close to doing what we want each day.