When we drop the ball on something, we tend to make excuses. And sometimes, they're perfectly valid reasons.
But, whatever the case, we're always judged by our actions.
For example, if someone shows up late and has an excuse for the delay, it can go one of two ways.
The first is that this person has a track record of always being on time. And very rarely, once in a while, they will be late. In this case, this normal. It's human.
The second is that this person has a track record of always being late. And always having excuses for being late.
In this case, the excuses don't matter. This is someone who has trouble making it to places on time.
The good news is, you can decide how you want to be perceived by others today. If you're always late, you can decide today that you will be on time.
But then, you have to actually take action and establish a track record of being on time.
It doesn't matter what the excuses are. In the end, we are always judged and measured by our actions.