Muryō is an opportunity to free yourself to fill your notebook, keep track of your mood, monitor your lifestyle, and accomplish your goals. The Muryō insert fits nicely in standard A5 notebooks (5.8 × 8.3 inches) and works well with larger books. I’d love for you to take the time to learn more about what Muryō is, how to use it, and while you’re at it, check out our subscription plan for convenient, regular deliveries.
I invented Muryō because I use notebooks every single day. I start my morning with a journal entry as the sun rises through the blinds of my living room window. I follow that up by planning my day with my 2-page week-long summary and task list. Throughout the day, I take meeting notes, log ideas, and track my mood.
I love the feeling of a good pen in my hand, spreading ink across nice paper. No matter how much technology advances to make it easier to take notes on your phone or laptop, I will never give up the feel of paper and pens. So why would I need a mobile app at all?
How to use Simplenote, a web app, with Muryō
I’m not a big fan of the imagery of taking notes on your phone. It might be a generational thing, or maybe my years as a professor, but it irks me when I see heads down and hands wrapped around a phone. Opposite that image is an engaged person actively taking notes in a notebook, which commands respect and honors the person across from you.
With all that in mind, my absolute favorite note-taking app is Simplenote, and I’ve tried them all. I will admit, I am biased, as I work for Automattic, the company behind Simplenote. If you keep it between us, I’ll confess that I used Google Keep for years, even as an Automattic employee; it is a great app that also allows you to access your notes across all your devices.
Simplenote working across multiple devices
I left Google and moved to Simplenote because of its simplicity. It is quite attractive and designed so much better than any other note-taking apps. I have also fallen for tagging. Organizing my notes quickly and efficiently is essential to me, which you could gather from my love of cataloging my notes with Muryō,
It’s not that I am compelled to tag each and every post, it’s just that tagging allows me the freedom to write quickly and shift to the next note while ensuring that nothing is ever lost to me. Tagging, seen to the left (or above), is so dead simple. It’s always available at the bottom of every note, and adding new tags couldn’t be easier.
There are other features of Simplenote that I love. It’s fully accessible on every device as a web app or mobile app. You can also sign in with your WordPress.com user name and password, making my life easier. Pinned notes stay at the top and are easily visible, while searching is quick and easy. Not to mention that my data is highly secured and with a company I trust, Automattic.
Sharing lists on the go
Above, you can see my grocery list for this week. Ask me later how to slow cook a short rib you’d pay serious money for in a restaurant. Yet, the real meat isn’t in my grocery list but rather how I use it. Both my wife and son have access to this list through their respective Simplenote apps. Sharing is another simple task and makes it easy for us to add items to the grocery list as the week goes on.
Sharing lists and working on them while on the go gets to the heart of the matter, as it will never be easier or done better than with a mobile app.
Muryō’s mission is to empower you to be free to work within your notebook without the restrictions of specific rules or planners that feel more like filling out paperwork at the DMV than writing a journal entry. It wouldn’t make sense if I tried to convince you to use Muryō for literally everything, especially since I don’t use it that way myself.
Where I “draw the line”
I will always use notebooks to take meeting notes, journal, and especially when I’m drawing or sketching. Simplenote is a real-time note-taking assistant, which I use at a much more granular level. In my notebook, I’ll plan my week and outline tasks like “Clean up the backyard”. In Simplenote, which is in my back pocket while I’m outside raking leaves, I’ll have tasks like:
- Rake the leaves
- Mow the lawn
- Clean out the gutters
- Take the trash to the curb
My notebook helps me keep a high-level understanding of what I have in front of me for the week and allows me to express myself freely. Simplenote gives me the ability to track individual tasks, share lists with friends and family, and gives me the freedom to be portable and mobile.
Quick Request:
Muryō is a passion project for me, so I’m pouring my heart and soul into it. If you like the ideas expressed here, would you mind sharing them with your friends and family? Below is a quick tweet which you can r/t, and some additional sharing icons to make it even easier for you. Thank you so much!
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