Failure is not an option, but it is a very possible outcome…

The essential part of creativity is not being afraid to fail. -Edwin H. Land

All over the inter webs you will see people posting "inspirational" messages like this. I agree with this quote, but I think a more accurate message would be "The essential part of living a life is not being afraid to fail." Failure is all around, and if we let it get to us, it can shut us down completely. I fail all the time. Maybe not all the time, that would be horrible, but a lot. But, just like Hank Aaron, I keep swinging for the fences. The more stuff you try to do, statistically the more chances you have to fail, but you also get more chances to succeed.
You can minimize failure by being properly prepared. Before you start a project, have a plan. I am a big fan of lists, and they are proven to aid success.  The more detailed the plan, the better your chance of getting it right.
It also helps if you think less "fail" and more "experiment with a negative result".  Sometimes even knowing this isn't enough. Some days, I just can't take one more failure. What can I say, I am a moody Scorpio to the core. I know that feeling will pass, and usually I try to do a little something where victory is a guarantee. Just to lift my spirit so I can withstand a little fail.