The fear of failure is perhaps the strongest force holding people below their potential. In a world full of uncertainty, a delicate economy, and countless misfortunes that could happen to anyone, it’s easy to see why most people are inclined to play it safe.

But playing it safe has risk as well. If you never dare to fail your success will have a low ceiling. Most people underestimate their merit and ability to recover from failure, leading them to pass up valuable opportunities. The ability to fail big and fail often has been a mark of the spectacularly successful throughout history.

The following strategies will help you put risk and reward in perspective so you can overcome the fear of failure.

1. Consider the cost of missed opportunities - The biggest risk that people fail to consider is the benefit they lose by avoiding high risk/high reward opportunities. In his guide to career planning, Netscape founder Marc Andreesen compares a well managed career to a diversified portfolio. The ideal career contains a wide range of job opportunities (some risky, some safe) that combine to form a relatively safe career with a high potential for growth. Taking high risk opportunities is essential because they offer the greatest reward:

The issue is that without taking risk, you can’t exploit any opportunities. You can live a quiet and reasonably happy life, but you are unlikely to create something new, and you are unlikely to make your mark on the world.

2. Research the alternatives - The unknown is a major source of fear. When you don’t know what you’re dealing with, potential consequences seem far worse than they actually are. Take the power out fear by understanding it. Research all the potential outcomes (both good and bad) so you genuinely understand the risk of failure and benefits of success. Analyzing these outcomes will help you see through the fear of failure and make a logical decision.

3. Put the worst-case scenario in perspective - One of the most powerful questions posed by Tim Ferriss in the 4-Hour Workweek is: If you chase your dreams and fall flat on your face, worst-case scenario, how long will it take you to recover? The answer is probably less than you expect. How hard would it really be to find another job? Chances are you could recover completely in a few months. Is the fear of a few rough months strong enough to keep you in a mediocre situation indefinitely?

4. Understand the benefits of failure - As Emerson said, life is a series of experiments, the more you make the better. Each failure is a trial in an experiment and an opportunity for growth. Even if a failure costs you financially, the educational benefits can far outweigh the loss. Working for a startup instead of a big company is considered risky, but according Paul Graham, “Managers at big companies prefer to hire someone who’d tried to start a startup and failed over someone who’d spent the same time working at a big company.” Maybe that experience at a big company isn’t as safe or as valuable as you think?

5. Make a contingency plan - Another way to overcome the fear of failure is to reduce the downside. Hedge your risk by creating a contingency plan. Even if your first option fails, you can maintain the status quo with a solid backup plan. Daring to fail doesn’t mean you have to risk losing it all. If you manage risk intelligently, you can capture the benefits of high risk opportunities while leaving yourself a safety net.

6. Take action - The best way to reduce fear and build confidence is taking action. As soon as you do, you’ll begin accumulating experience and knowledge. Everything is hardest the first time. It’s like jumping off a cliff into a lake — after you do it once, you see that the water is safe and each time afterwards is easy. Start off with small steps and build up your confidence until the fear of failure is manageable.

7. Burn the boats - When ancient Greek armies traveled across the sea to do battle, the first thing they would do after landing was to burn the boats, leaving them stranded. With no way to make it home besides victory, the resolve of the soldiers was strengthened. When success and failure are the only options, you have no choice but to follow through.

If you have a goal, but are afraid to commit, force yourself into action by burning the boats. Register for an exam in advance if you want to go back to school. Set a deadline to move to a new city without signing a lease. Fear of failure disappears when you realize it can’t save you.

害怕失败是妨碍人们发挥自身潜力的最大障碍。在这个充满不确定性的世界中，每个人都会遇到一些微妙的关系和数不清的坏运气，这也就是为什么人们会趋于保守。

但是保守同样会带来风险，害怕失败的人达到的成就终究有限。大多数人低估了自己的优点以及从失败中走出来的能力，这导致了许多好机会的错失。可从历史上看，遭受重大失败和多次失败的能力是一种成功的象征。

下面的办法会帮助你分析风险和回报，然后你就能克服对失败的恐惧。

1. 估计错失机会所带来的损失 - 大家都没有意识到，最大的风险来自回避高风险/高回报的机会之后其收益的丧失。在Netscape创始人Marc Andreesen的职业计划指导中，他将一个良好管理的职业经历比作多元化的投资组合，理想的职业经历包含了一组广阔的工作机会（有一些是风险性的，有一些是保守的），这些工作组合在一起形成了一个相对安全又有高成长性的职业经历，而其中挑选高风险机会是核心，因为它能带来最高的收益：

    问题是如果不承担风险，那你就无法开拓任何机会。你可以过上一种宁静而快乐的生活，但是你无法创造一些新的东西，你无法把你的印记留在这个世界上。

2. 理解对象 - 无知是恐惧的主要来源。当你对要处理的对象不了解时，就会把他们想象得比实际上更糟糕。所以要通过对事物的理解来减少恐惧。研究所有可能的后果（好的和坏的），这样你就能真正理解失败的风险和成功的收益。分析这些结果可以帮助你看透恐惧，并做出一个合理的决定。

3. 考虑最坏的结果 - Tim Ferriss 在 4-Hour Workweek中最有力的问题是: 如果你追求自己的梦想失败，在最坏的结果下，你需要多久才能恢复？ 这个问题的答案一般会比你想象的要短。你需要花多少努力才能找到一份新的工作？ 或许你需要几个月来完全恢复，那么对几个月的恐惧就能阻止你改变平庸的现状吗？

4. 认识失败的好处 - 就像爱默生所说，生活是一系列的试验，做得越多过得越好。每一个失败都是一次试验和一个成长的机会。即使失败给你带来了经济上的损失，但你得到的教育会大大超过你的损失。不去大公司而是在一家初创小公司干活是一件很有风险的事情，但是根据Paul Graham的说法，“在大公司的经理们倾向于聘请那些在初创企业有失败经验的人，而不是那些在大公司工作的员工” 或许在大公司工作的经历并不像你想象中那么安全或有价值呢？

5. 想一个应变的计划 - 克服对失败的恐惧的另一个办法是降低风险，即想出一个应变的计划。这样就算你的首选计划失败，你仍然可以依靠候补计划维持现状。勇于面对失败并不意味这你需要承担失去一切的风险，你可以巧妙地管理风险，在一个相对安全的位置获得高收益。

6. 行动 - 减少恐惧和建立自信的最好方法就是行动。当你行动的时候，你就开始积累经验和知识。万事开头难，就像从山崖跳下湖面，当你做过一次之后，你就会觉得很安全，之后每次做都觉得很简单了。开始的时候步子迈得小一点，直到你可以控制你对失败的恐惧。

7. 烧掉你的船 - 当古希腊的军队出海打仗的时候，他们在登陆之后的第一件事情就是烧掉他们的船， 这样除非胜利，否则他们就无法回到家乡，这样士气就得到了提高。如果成功或失败是你仅有的选项时，你没有选择的余地，只有向前走。

当你有了目标，但害怕去实现的时候，“烧”掉你的船，逼迫自己去行动。当你想回到学校学习之前，先注册一门考试；当你想搬到新城市的之前，不签旧的租房合约。当你认识到恐惧并不能帮助你的时候，恐惧就会消失。