The Hidden Cost of Time Spent Alone

read on: themovementmemo.com

read time: 5 minutes 

Welcome to The Movement Memo, a bi-weekly newsletter where I share actionable tips to help you live your best day ever, every day.

Today's Programming 

• Movement: 2-part strength endurance 

• Quote: Ferazzi on relationships

• Lesson: The hidden cost of time spent alone

• YouTube: 9 Days in Croatia, MTB Stage Race 

• Pick-Ups: How I fueled for a 48 mile ultra in the Grand Canyon

Today's Movement 

Part A: Complete as a fifteen-minute EMOM:

• Build to a 1 rep max power clean + front squat

Part A: Complete for time:

• 3, 6, 9, 12 clean and jerks + toes-to-bar (135 lbs/ 95 lbs.) 

Today's Quote

Some people say we live in the attention economy.

I think we live in the relationships economy – where those who give with no expectation win on a long enough time horizon. Where chance encounters compound to place you in a position you cannot imagine today. In a world where AI and computers will continue to perform more of the work, it is human connection that will become more valuable.

The advice I would give to my 25 year old self: invest in relationships, show up early and stay late, go speak to the person standing alone in the corner, and invite others to join on adventures.

Today's Lesson Learned:

The Hidden Cost of Time Spent Alone

We’re all quietly investing in the wrong future.

It doesn’t show up on a bank statement. You can’t track it in QuickBooks. But it’s costing us more than we realize.

It’s called the Loneliness Index.

What is the Loneliness Index?

The Loneliness Index is the invisible cost of choosing convenience over connection.

It’s the missed opportunities because you weren’t in the room. It’s the partnerships that never formed because you stayed behind the screen. It’s the slow erosion of health, energy, momentum—and you don’t notice it until it’s too late.

Modern life made loneliness easy:

• Groceries delivered.

• Work done remotely.

• Workouts completed solo.

• Meals eaten alone.

And we bought into it.

We optimized everything for frictionless living—and paid for it with our community, our energy, and our fulfillment. Behavioral science figured it out years ago:

Connection, not comfort, is what makes us happy.

But we forgot.

How I Fell Into It (and How I Found the Exit)

For a while, I lived the “optimized” life:

Wake up early, work out, build brands, mountain bike, and finish the day with some YouTube deep dives. Efficient? Absolutely. Fulfilling? Not even close.

I realized most of my best memories, best ideas, and best relationships didn’t happen behind a screen.

They happened in the room with others—during workouts, over coffee, on long rides, sharing real space with real people.

So I started simply:

I invited friends to train.

No strategy. No business plan. No pressure.

One workout partner turned into two.

Two into ten.

Before I knew it, I never trained alone. A group of 10 high performers showed up every single day.

My energy skyrocketed.

My conversations deepened.

My opportunity surface area multiplied.

Without realizing it, I had stumbled into the antidote for the Loneliness Index: In-Real-Life Community built through shared suffering.

The Bigger Picture: It’s Not Just You

This isn’t just a personal story—it’s a global shift.

In Japan, tens of thousands of profitable businesses are shutting down. Not because they failed—but because the middle layer of connection disappeared.

• No apprentices.

• No successors.

• No one left to take the handoff.

When connection decreases, so do future opportunities. Why? Because we can never connect the dots in real time – it’s only when we look back years down the road that we can finally realize how chance encounters shaped us into who we are today.

This is the index we invest in every time we choose comfort over community. 

The future won’t belong to those who build the biggest audiences online –it’ll belong to those who build the strongest relationships offline.

Why I’m Building Founders Only

Founders Only is my answer to the Loneliness Index.

It’s a real-world community for the few who understand:

If you want to build something great, you can’t do it alone.

Founders Only isn’t a networking event.

It’s not another group chat you’ll mute.

It’s a tribe built on:

• Shared energy.

• Shared ambition.

• Shared commitment to show up in real life.

Workouts instead of bars. Introductions instead of cold DMs. Real relationships instead of shallow followers, with entrepreneurs, investors, and creators from all over the US. 

In a world addicted to digital noise, Founders Only is built on timeless principles: connection, trust, and relationships that compound to turn you into an opportunity magnet. 

Our next in-person event is in Denver, June 20-22.

The Choice We All Face

You can keep paying into the Loneliness Index.

Or you can start building the life—and the tribe—you actually want.

The future belongs to those who show up.

Founders Only is for those who want to be in the room with people who make things happen.

Today’s YouTube:

Today’s Pick-Ups (Grand Canyon Edition):

If you’ve followed me for a while, you know I’m constantly experimenting with products, routines, and inputs that help me feel my best and perform at a high level. It’s part curiosity, part lifestyle, and part fun. I test so you don’t have to.

Each week, I’m going to share a handful of products I’ve actually been using, loving, and reaching for — the ones that have earned a spot in my real, day-to-day routine.

(This is only the good stuff — from the brands that are quietly doing things right).

This week’s list comes straight off a 48-mile Grand Canyon Rim-To Rim-To Rim traverse.  These products helped me get through the hardest endurance adventure I’ve completed since my last Ironman. 

If you’re someone who is looking for performance, into emerging brands, and loves trying the best products in the health and wellness space, this might be your new favorite section.

Let’s dive in:

Laird Protein Creamer

I’m a coffee snob – I actually have a Rocket espresso machine, a Terra Kaffe, and Nitro Cold Brew machine on my kitchen counter at all times. 

Coffee’s great – but coffee with protein is better.

After 48 miles in the Grand Canyon, I came back home barely able to walk, and knew I needed to prioritize recovery. When I stumbled out of bed this morning, the only thing that got me downstairs was the thought of that first sip of espresso. I used to just add a splash of milk, but recently I started mixing in Laird Protein Creamer. It blends perfectly it into my morning coffee and gives me 12g of clean protein, which helps to power me through my morning training session without needing a full breakfast. 

Quick Facts:

• 12g plant-based protein per scoop

• Dairy-free, soy-free, and vegan

• Coconut milk + pea protein

• No added sugar or BS fillers

Why I love it:

Recovery days mean low effort, high-quality inputs. Laird protein creamer tastes like I am cheating, but I’m not. Smooth, creamy, no blender needed – and something I’ve come to look forward to every single morning. 

Click to try. Code: "Eric20” for 20% off, plus free shipping for new customers

Korrect Energy

I had about 600mg of Korrect in my system during the Grand Canyon traverse — and I’d do it again. It’s clean energy with real adaptogens and aminos – and helped me hold my focus for hours in the sun, without the crash-and-burn feeling of traditional pre-workouts.

Quick Facts:

• Green coffee bean caffeine

• L-Theanine = smooth, balanced focus

• Cordyceps + Rhodiola = endurance ready

• No sugar, no crash

Why I love it:

On long endurance efforts, your mind quits before your body. Korrect helped keep the wheels turning all 48 miles (barely). 

Click to try. Code: “erichinman”

Nads Boxer Briefs

You don’t want to think about your underwear at mile 35 – and if you are, it’s already too late.

These are soft, no-chafe, and anti-swamp — which was a blessing somewhere between Manzanita and the North Rim when the water spigots were off.

But I need to order a new pair – the ones I wore on the run have been “retired”.

Quick Facts:

• Modal fabric = absurdly soft

• No tags, no riding up

• Built for movement and durability

• Small batch, premium feel

Why I love it:

Whether I’m running 48 miles in the canyon or sitting in post-run brain fog, Nads hold up. They’re now the only briefs in my drawer. Period.

Click to try. Code: "ehinman”

Ketone-IQ + Caffeine

I had 5 shots of Ketone-IQ on the traverse. Every time I filled my hydration bladder with LMNT, I added in a shot of Ketone IQ with caffeine. Ketones + caffeine = brain and body fuel that doesn’t spike or crash. 

Quick Facts:

• 10g ketones + 100mg caffeine per bottle

• Zero sugar, zero filler

• Used by pros, tested for real use

• Sustained physical + cognitive energy

Why I love it:

This got me through the hottest part of the canyon with clarity and drive. They are also great for big work sessions when the brain’s dragging but you don’t want to get twitchy.

Click to try:

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Publisher: Eric Hinman

Editor-in-chief: Bobby Ryan