Boss Nigel Pearson said Leicester City had a fantastic opportunity to get into the Premier League and urged his players not to waste it.
Anthony Knockaert's late winner on a dramatic final day gave City their first win at Nottingham Forest for more than 40 years, since 1972.
The 3-2 win, coupled with Bolton's failure to beat Blackpool at the Reebok Stadium, gave City a place in the play-offs, a position that seemed unlikely prior to kick-off after their poor end to the season.
But Pearson acknowledged City's superb performance under pressure and urged them to capitalise in the play-offs when they face third-placed Watford at King Power Stadium, on Thursday night, before travelling to Vicarage Road for the return on Sunday.
"I think it's important for me to say it how it is," he said after the victory.
"We had an outside chance, we have won a game but let's not get too carried away.
"Some people would argue we will have been in a great position and put our season at risk.
"We have to draw a line under what has happened and say 'we have another opportunity, we have to take it', as we did on Saturday.
"It's never nice to be in a position to have to win a game and it may not be enough. So, we have to try to take our opportunity now."
Speculation over Pearson's position would have inevitably begun had City not reached the play-offs as they were in such a good position in January.
At the start of the year, he won the manager of the month award after City surged into second place before falling away, but Pearson said he wasn't concerned by the tabloid talk.
"Hey, tomorrow is another day," he said.
"I do my job and I do it in a way that is my style. I'm a normal bloke. If you are in management, you have to deal with that. That's the bottom line.
"There was a lot riding on this game for both clubs. Forest have done exceptionally well to get into contention.
"I know what Billy (Forest manager Davies) is like, he sets high standards for his players. Billy congratulated me after the game."
Pearson praised his players for coping with an intense atmosphere at the City Ground as both sides were desperate for the victory.
"The players have to take a lot of credit for dealing with the situation," he said.
"It felt like a cup final, there is a lot at stake for both sides. We are a young side.
"It started badly for us. We showed a lot of desire and control to get back into the game, then go in front. There are a lot of positives. Maybe, maybe that's given us a little bit of impetus moving forward."
