You make a mistake. You get called out on it. Now what? What do you do? It still amazes that so many people feel the need to make excuses, or even worse, outright lie in the hopes that the problem will somehow go away. Guess what? It won't. There is nothing more admirable than a person having the courage to own up to their mistakes. To say "You're right. I screwed up. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. It will only serve to help me improve." When that is someone's response - boom, instant respect. Owning up to your mistakes shows that you have confidence, courage, humility, willingness to learn and a desire to improve. Making excuses shows the exact opposite.
Take blame and give credit whenever possible. Learn from your mistakes. Learn from other people's mistakes. Don't be afraid to call someone out when they're making excuses - they'll thank you later. Stand up for what you believe in. Speak up and do the right thing; always. And most important of all, remember to be the person you want the world to remember you as when you're gone, because those memories are being created by the actions you take today.