--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: making excuses takes away your…" description: "\"“making excuses takes away your opportunity to see what could have been. Don’t ever be that person who says “If I had only listened to my coach; if I h..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/090/michael-alden-26223_coach_making-excuses-takes-away-your-opportuni_216839.jpg" --- # making excuses takes away your opportunity to see what… ![“making excuses takes away your opportunity to see what could have been. Don’t ever be that person who says “If I had only listened to my coach; if I had only done this or that.” quote by Michael Alden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/090/michael-alden-26223_coach_making-excuses-takes-away-your-opportuni_216839.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/090/michael-alden-26223_coach_making-excuses-takes-away-your-opportuni_216839.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/090/michael-alden-26223_coach_making-excuses-takes-away-your-opportuni_216839.jpg) > ““making excuses takes away your opportunity to see what could have been. Don’t ever be that person who says “If I had only listened to my coach; if I had only done this or that.”” [Michael Alden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-alden/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Excuses block growth; they prevent us from learning from missed chances and hinder progress. **In simple terms:** Excuses stop you from learning. Key Takeaway Stop making excuses and act. Themes personal growth accountability mindset Mood determined reflective Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - coaching sessions - team meetings - self‑reflection - goal setting Key Concepts self‑improvement psychology motivation Questions to Reflect On - What excuse are you holding onto? - How would you act without that excuse? A Different Perspective Excuses can sometimes protect self‑esteem; confronting them may be uncomfortable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Coach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coach/) [Excuses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excuses/) ## Related quotes > [“If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.Remember if you never act, you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-really-want-to-do-something-you-ll-find-a-way-if-you-don-t-you-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I wasn't a bad kid. My dad left when I was young, so I didn't have much discipline, not that I'm making excuses. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-dyer/i-wasn-t-a-bad-kid-my-dad-left-when-i-was-young-so-i-didn-t-have-much/) [Danny Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-dyer/) > [“When you stop making excuses, you start making progress!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lasean-rinique/when-you-stop-making-excuses-you-start-making-progress/) Lasean Rinique > [Ninety-nine percent of all failures come from people who have a habit of making excuses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington-carver/ninety-nine-percent-of-all-failures-come-from-people-who-have-a-habit/) [George Washington Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington-carver/) > [If you don't go through life making excuses, you save yourself, your friends, and parents a lot of trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-livingston/if-you-don-t-go-through-life-making-excuses-you-save-yourself-your/) [Shaun Livingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-livingston/) > [“People keep making excuses, that’s why everthing happens for a reason.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-saputra/people-keep-making-excuses-that-s-why-everthing-happens-for-a-reason/) Roy Saputra > [If they wanted to call you, text you, be with you or spend time with you they would. Making excuses for them doesn't change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/if-they-wanted-to-call-you-text-you-be-with-you-or-spend-time-with/) [Sonya Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [“Part of being of a true existentialist is wanting to be what we make ourselves be by the way we choose to act, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-cox/part-of-being-of-a-true-existentialist-is-wanting-to-be-what-we-make/) Gary Cox > [99% of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/99-of-the-failures-come-from-people-who-have-the-habit-of-making/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Stop making excuses, start making changes!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/habeeb-akande/stop-making-excuses-start-making-changes/) [Habeeb Akande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/habeeb-akande/) > [Most of the time, excuses are made out of pure laziness. 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You might not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/most-people-don-t-reach-their-goals-because-reaching-their-goals/) [Sonya Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [“The pathway to freedom begins when we face the problem without making excuses for it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/the-pathway-to-freedom-begins-when-we-face-the-problem-without-making/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) ## More by Michael Alden > [“cleansing your friends doesn’t mean you have to expel them from your life forever, but depending on the level of their negativity and potentially…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-alden/cleansing-your-friends-doesn-t-mean-you-have-to-expel-them-from-your/) [Michael Alden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-alden/) > [“apply the skills you learned from your “coach” to whatever situation applies.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-alden/apply-the-skills-you-learned-from-your-coach-to-whatever-situation/) [Michael Alden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-alden/) > [“Most of our excuses are just ways of making ourselves feel better about why we didn’t do something,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-alden/most-of-our-excuses-are-just-ways-of-making-ourselves-feel-better/) [Michael Alden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-alden/) > [“Today is going to be a terrific day, I am not going to make excuses, and I will not give up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-alden/today-is-going-to-be-a-terrific-day-i-am-not-going-to-make-excuses/) [Michael Alden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-alden/) > [“I was lucky that I was forced to find a way to get the things I wanted in life by finding honest ways to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-alden/i-was-lucky-that-i-was-forced-to-find-a-way-to-get-the-things-i/) [Michael Alden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-alden/) > [“What does your future look like if you keep doing what you are doing? 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It got so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-griffey-jr/i-was-just-putting-way-too-much-pressure-on-myself-i-was-just-trying/) [Ken Griffey Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-griffey-jr/) > [A lot of the kids gave a lot of positive feedback about if I ever became a coach, they would love to play in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-hardaway/a-lot-of-the-kids-gave-a-lot-of-positive-feedback-about-if-i-ever/) [Penny Hardaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-hardaway/) > [I think it's very important to have contact with the players that I will coach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerardo-martino/i-think-it-s-very-important-to-have-contact-with-the-players-that-i/) [Gerardo Martino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerardo-martino/) > [Of course, it's always fun when you're winning and you have a great coach, great organization, great trainers, great strength staff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-gurley/of-course-it-s-always-fun-when-you-re-winning-and-you-have-a-great/) [Todd Gurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-gurley/) > [No one likes a change of coach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-azpilicueta/no-one-likes-a-change-of-coach/) [Cesar Azpilicueta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-azpilicueta/) > [As far as being a coach, it's always fascinated me. 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