There are some risks which in hindsight probably weren't worth taking.
Having a two-year affair with your secretary and posing for incriminating photos at the office Christmas party is probably up there, along with going on a rollercoaster just after lunch and attempting to wax your own bikini line (for men, the equivalent is hanging patterned wallpaper on your own – it's messy, time-consuming and when you've finished, the look will be distinctly amateurish).
But as we all work longer hours in increasingly stressful jobs, as we plod towards inevitable penury in retirement, the element of risk has been taken out of many of our lives – and that may not be such a good thing.
"The reason most people are unhappy is that they are attempting to live the lives they have been persuaded are right for them," explains psychologist Gary Leboff.
"If you don't know yourself in the first place, then it is impossible to find happiness in life – most people are lost in a fog that blinds them to seeing who they have the ability to be, rather than who they think they should be."
Which all sounds very depressing.
According to Leboff, the root cause of this deepening inertia is often well-meaning parents and teachers, who in trying to help their offspring and pupils avoid the pitfalls of 21st-century life, in fact temper creativity and ambition.
"We know what is best for us as individuals, but the trouble is that we believe we should conform, which is why many people feel so uncomfortable in their own skins," he says.
"At an early age, you don't really know who to believe, and so many of us take the path of least resistance, thinking that it will get us into the least trouble.
"But, actually, you end up paying an enormous price later on."
As tempting as it might sound, Leboff is not advocating a mass handing in of resignations to embark on a once-in-lifetime trip round the world armed with nothing more than a passport and rucksack, but – at least in the beginning – a more gentle pushing of the boundaries.
"So much depends on what people want and what's keeping them static," he says. "What I want to do is encourage people to move at a speed that feels safe and right to."
Clearly not every decision will bring with it endless happiness, but Leboff believes that even if you make the wrong decisions occasionally, at least you are making progress and are well on the way towards incorporating risks into your lifestyle.
"I once worked with a top business executive who got to about 52 and decided that this wasn't what he wanted to be doing," he says. "He ended up running a farm and had a very happy life in the end – of course, he was in a fortunate position as he had the money to do it, but the story illustrates the number of people who get to the end of their careers and even lives and think, 'What was all that for?'.
"What I encourage people to do is picture themselves 20 years from now in the same job at the same desk and with the same people, simply to show them what will happen if they don't take any risks.
"The colour just drains out of their faces. But if you don't make an effort to change and get what you want, then life probably won't turn out how you want it to."
But where should the non-risk-taker start?
"The idea that it is about making these huge, sweeping adjustments such as leaving your partner or changing jobs, is not what this is all about – yes, perhaps in the future, but such big changes always frighten people to begin with," he explains.
"From simply trying out a new route to work or wearing a new style of clothing, to learning to play a musical instrument or booking that exotic holiday you always wanted, your initial risks don't need to be life-changing.
"It's all about taking baby steps because you need to find the confidence to try out bigger things later on – and you could start with absolutely anything.
"Every day, ask yourself what you've done today that is daring or that is a bit of a stretch. If at the end of each day you can find just one thing, then you are moving, but if not, then you are getting more and more limited and your horizons are getting smaller and smaller."
While most of us now watch what we eat and even try to get more exercise, risk-taking is apparently another form of keep fit, which keeps the mind, rather than body, in good health.
"If you are not regularly taking risks, then you are sending all kinds of message to yourself about safety, limitations and keeping your head down," adds Leboff.
"I'm not talking about stupid risks, like driving blindfolded down the wrong side of the road at 120mph – I'm talking about appropriate risks which can be as big or small as you like.
"That way, you can get up in the morning with a spring in your step and just be excited to be alive – all it takes is a bit of faith in yourself and you really can get whatever you want out of life."
Procrastination is obviously the greatest barrier to change but a little planning can apparently take the stress out of taking the plunge.
"It's easy to stay in a comfort zone, but eventually we can bore ourselves silly with our repeated behaviours and responses," says life coach Lynda Field.
"When clients say they are lacking in confidence, I often suggest that they take a step in a new direction – often this only means taking the first step towards a long-cherished goal, but as soon as they do this, their energy begins to soar.
"One step leads to the next as their confidence and self-belief rises.
"So get going on whatever it is you wish you were doing – the time is now.
"Take a piece of paper and write down your plan – now consider the worst possible outcomes. Be realistic, how bad could it get? Now consider the best possible outcome – just how good could it get?
"Weigh up the two and if the going looks good, then there is no excuse not to get going."


Dare: Take Your Life On And Win, by Gary Leboff, published in paperback by Hodder Mobius, priced £10.99. To order a copy from the Yorkshire Post Bookshop, call free on 0800 0153232. P&P is £1.95. Order online from www.yorkshirepostbookshop.co.uk