Inc.com recommends:
1. Count on mistakes
The first step to get rid of the fear of failure is to admit that failures simply happen. It will happen to you and there is no need to perceive it too negatively. Each mistake leads to a lesson that will enrich you and bring you closer to future success.
2. Find the causes of your fear
Try to describe what specifically you are afraid of. You may worry about missing a deadline, not receiving a grant, or creating a bad marketing campaign. As soon as you know what you actually fear, start looking for ways to get rid of the problems. You can either do it yourself, or ask for help.
3. Stick to your goals
Once you accept the fact that failures simply happen and find out that you can deal with them, there is no need to abandon your goals. Keep in mind that fear will happen, but from now on it will be the driving force for you not to give up.
4. Face your fear
Get rid of your fear by facing it directly and start making mistakes. This is easier said than done, but it's worth it. Remind yourself that failure is the path to success.
If you want to learn more about overcoming the fear of making mistakes, find 20 minutes to watch the TED talk by "wrongologist" Kathryn Schulz on being wrong. The journalist and author focuses on how mistakes help us in our lives. She gives advice on how we can admit our own fallibility and why it is good for us. The online version of her speech at the TED 2011 conference has already been seen by nearly 3 million people.
"This internal sense of rightness that we all experience so often is not a reliable guide to what is actually going on in the external world," says Katrhyn Schulz. A video with Czech subtitles and interactive transcript is available on this page.
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