You try hard to do something. You keep it in your mind to do it.
Verb [volitional form] + と心がけるPrimary
You try hard to do something. You keep it in your mind to do it.
健康のために、毎日野菜をたくさん食べるよう心がけています。
For my health, I make a point of eating a lot of vegetables every day.
学生時代、できるだけ多くの本を読むよう心がけた。
During my student days, I made a conscious effort to read as many books as possible.
会議中は、個人的な感情を出さないよう心がけるべきだ。
During meetings, you should make an effort not to show personal feelings.
常に平常心を保つよう心がけることで、プレッシャーに強くなれる。
By making a point to always maintain a calm mind, you can become stronger under pressure.
環境のために、ゴミを減らすよう心がけましょう。
For the sake of the environment, let's make an effort to reduce waste.
This word means you put your heart into an action. It is not just doing something. It is about always thinking about it. You keep it in your mind.
This is different from 「〜ようにする」. That means you try to make something a habit. This is also different from 「〜ようと努める」. That is more formal. It means you try hard to reach a goal. 「〜ようと心がける」 is more about your own thoughts and feelings.
Don't use this when something happens by itself. For example, you can't say "I try to make it rain."
Use this when you want to say you try hard to do something. It shows you are serious about it. It is like a rule you set for yourself.
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