Taking risks involves overriding your desire for safety and security. Studies show that the smarter you are, the more risk-averse you tend to be, because rational thinking generally acts in favour of security over risk.
In order to succeed at risk-taking, you need to develop a growth mind-set. People who find themselves stuck in a rut often have a fixed mind-set. You believe your traits are fixed and finite and you work to validate those traits.
If, however, you have a growth mind-set, then you believe you can cultivate new qualities through effort, so you put work into growing by applying yourself and trying new experiences.
It is however essential to mentally prepare yourself for the risk of failure. Confronting your fears early prevents you from getting paralysed at the first mistake. Learn from your mistakes, fortify yourself with faith and carry on.