Also, don't think of your opponent as some omnipotent. When I was younger I did this with 1200s (INTERNET 1200s no less!) thinking they were untouchable.
Your opponent is higher rated for a reason, maybe it isn't a typical reason such as you've been out of chess for awhile but studied like crazy so your skillset is actually hundreds above your rating but it's usually because he's better than you. The best thing you can do like I said above is not overestimate your opponent.
Yes, for sure when you are playing a higher rated player, do not play for a draw as playing for a draw will invariably keep you from finding some very good moves!