It’s 2026. Five years ago today, I was putting the finishing touches on my dissertation, exhausted but hopeful. I had no idea what the next five years would bring.
Looking back now, the list surprises me: four conference presentations, co-creating an online certification program for optimists in early education, completing two case studies, and leading my organization through a major accreditation project. When you’re in the thick of it (managing learning programs, analyzing data, responding to the endless stream of emails), it’s easy to lose sight of how far you’ve actually come.
There have been ups and downs, both personal and professional. Wins and setbacks. Moments of clarity and periods of uncertainty. Recently, I was reminded of something important: we should pause to practice gratitude before we plan for what’s next.
The Problem with Pure Forward-Thinking
We’re conditioned to always look ahead. What’s the next goal? The next promotion? The next project milestone? This forward momentum is valuable. It drives innovation and growth. But when we skip the reflection step, we miss something critical.
Without acknowledging what we’ve accomplished, we enter future planning from a place of scarcity rather than abundance. We focus on gaps instead of strengths. We see only what’s missing rather than recognizing what we’ve built.
Gratitude as Foundation
Taking time to genuinely appreciate past accomplishments is strategic. When we inventory what we’ve achieved, we identify our actual capabilities (not what we think we should be able to do), recognize patterns in what energizes us versus what drains us, build confidence from evidence rather than hope, and clarify values by seeing what we chose to pursue.
This gratitude-grounded awareness becomes the foundation for realistic, energizing future plans.
Optimistic Planning vs. Wishful Thinking
There’s a crucial difference between optimistic planning and wishful thinking. Wishful thinking ignores constraints and past patterns. Optimistic planning acknowledges reality while believing in the possibility of positive change.
When I reflect on the past five years, I can see what actually worked: collaborative projects, building systems from scratch, translating complex data into compelling stories. I can also see what didn’t serve me: working in silos, taking on projects misaligned with my values, burning out from overcommitment.
Optimistic planning means carrying forward what worked while consciously leaving behind what didn’t.
Try This: The Gratitude-to-Goals Practice
Before you set your next five-year vision or even your quarterly goals, try this:
- List your wins from the past period (big and small)
- Acknowledge the hard parts without dwelling in them
- Extract the lessons: What strengths did you use? What brought you joy? What would you do differently?
- Thank yourself for showing up, even imperfectly
- Only then, ask: What do I want to build from here?
This approach honors both the challenges and the growth. It creates space for honest assessment and genuine appreciation.
Moving Forward, Grounded
I don’t know what the next five years will bring. But I know what I’m bringing to them: hard-won experience, proven ability to build infrastructure from nothing, commitment to mission-aligned work, and evidence that I can navigate uncertainty while staying true to my values.
That’s gratitude-informed optimism. And that’s the foundation worth building on.
What would you discover if you paused to appreciate your past five years before planning your next five? I’d love to hear what emerges when you try the practice.