Excuses are the way to failure. Whether you find yourself giving them or accepting them, they are a definite warning flag that you are getting off track.
Well thought out actions make up the currency of effectiveness, whereas excuses are the currency of futility. Every setback has a reason. Every mistake has a reason. You can either accept those reasons, and learn something positive from them, or you can turn them into excuses, and allow them to defeat you.
Each excuse is a small defeat, and they can add up quickly. The best strategy is to avoid them. Explain yourself, but make no excuses. Listen to reason, but accept no excuses.
Experience life without excuses and watch your own effectiveness and the effectiveness of those around you soar to new heights as a result.
