Yesterday Tom Menino made history. Today he needs to focus on the future - and there’s not a moment to waste.

The unprecedented fifth term he won against his toughest opponent yet ought to be not merely a cause for celebration but also a wake-up call about the changing needs of this city he will lead for four more years.

If we had only one piece of advice to offer the once and future mayor it is this: remember that first term, remember the promise, the fresh start, the new faces and the bold energy.

It’s time to begin again.

Too often during the campaign Menino fell back on denial. That may be a good debate strategy, but it’s no way to guide a city into the future.

The schools, he insisted, were doing just fine and he criticized anyone who disagreed with being too “negative.”

Well, the schools aren’t doing just fine. Dropout rates remain too high and achievement too low. Parents are still lining up to get their kids into METCO or into charter schools. Those opportunities need to be broadened - and the mayor needs to lead, not follow begrudgingly.

The city’s regular public schools are improving, but students shouldn’t have to wait when there are options now.

The mayor has been on the right side of tough negotiations with the firefighters union. Economic necessity demands that he stay there. And far more needs to be done to end the pension abuses that only seem to go to the front burner when accompanied by compelling video or a federal indictment.

As the economic recovery begins - and that can’t be soon enough - the city needs to be ready to approve development projects that are viable and that further the city’s growth. And that needs to happen even if those behind such projects aren’t the mayor’s best buds.

That raises the broader issue of who’s in charge at City Hall - other than Menino. Who does the mayor depend on for advice? Who does he bounce ideas off? Whose counsel does he seek when the going gets tough? That’s where Menino truly needs new blood, fresh ideas and sound advice from someone who’s not afraid to incur the infamous Menino pique.

It’s all about the legacy now. And you can’t look to the future, if your team is stuck in the past.