The meaning of the root word holy means to be separated or withdrawn from that which is common or unclean, and consecrated to what is sacred and pure. God alone is pure and holy. He is perfect; man is imperfect.  God is divine; man is human. He is morally perfect; man is sinful. God abhors that which is evil. It is easy to understand that He cannot tolerate sin of any kind. To Him it is vile and detestable. Therefore, it is evident that man must become holy in order to attain fellowship with God. 

Holiness is a condition of the heart. It is a sum total of our 
attitudes and consecrations towards God. Therefore we must take heed of our attitudes and motives as we strive to be holy. We must manifest Christ-like attitudes. Jesus said 
"Blessed are the pure in heart. "Are our hearts really pure?
Are our motives pure? Why do we do the things we do? What motivates us? Are our talents separated and dedicated to the service of God? Can He really use us? Only those who are holy and sanctified shall be able to see
Jesus and enter His kingdom. On that day, He  will present
to Himself a Church,   a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. "(Ephesians 5:27)" To sanctify means to separate from evil and dedicate exclusively to the service  of God. Man's part is to bring himself  to the sanctifying  influence of the Holy Ghost and allow God to work His will. Sinful man is wholly incapable of making himself holy.
This is the work of the Holy One. There is nothing man can do to merit sanctification. All his righteousness would be as filthy rags. But thank God, we have a Holy One  who is happy to sanctify and cleanse us! 

The process of sanctification begins the moment a  person 
hears or reads the gospel message, for the Word of God 
has a cleansing influence in the heart of the hearer. Now ye are clean  through the word which I have spoken unto you. (John 15:3) "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is 
thy truth."(John 17:17) There is a definite power in Gods 
Word to convict sinners of their sins and reveal to them 
their need of a close walk with God, a sanctification, and 
deeper consecration. It is the responsibility of every God fearing child of God to see to it that he keeps himself under the influence of the  sanctifying power of God by repentance, surrender of will to God's will, consecration, dedication, complete separation from the world, faith, and obedience. 

None of us was born perfect. The very fact that Peter 
exhorted the saints to grow in grace and in the knowledge 
of our Lord proves to us that sanctification is a progressive 
process in our lives. (2 Peter 3:18)  The Christian who is 
filled with the spirit, walks after the Spirit, and is led by the Spirit will live a holy life, one that is dedicated and 
consecrated to the will of God.  He will live a life above sin, & will feel no condemnation. There are many advantages and rewards of holy living. The Christian enjoys greater peace of mind and heart. He enjoys happiness. His life is more fruitful and satisfying, for he lives a life of service to God and others. 

Are there any secrets to successful holy living?Indeed, there are! Following are only a few: 

     1)  Allow the power of the Holy Ghost to change you 
          and teach you. 

     2)  Learn to communicate daily with God. It is of vital 
          necessity that  you talk to your "Creator". It is 
          through Him that we move and have our 
          being. A prayerful life is a happy and victorious
          life.

     3)  Realize that only after you relinquish your will to 
          God's will, will you know peace.  Find the mind of 
          God.

     4)  Read the Bible daily. Let it "come alive" to your 
          heart. Attend Bible studies and participate. Get 
          involved with  your studies. Think about the lesson.
           Ask questions that will clarify doctrines.

     5)  Dedicate yourself fully to His service and to His 
          will for your life.  Don't get sidetracked! Keep 
          God as top priority on your list and you can stay 
          happy.

     6)  Live each day one day at a time.  Live "in-depth." 
          Don't become stale. You can go on learning and 
          keep alive all your life!

     7)  Keep your eyes off the faults of others. Look 
          to Jesus as the one who has an answer to every 
          problem you might encounter.

     8)  Witness to others of the power and the hope that 
          lies within you. You will be blessed and  feel 
          victorious when you witness boldly of the power 
          of God. 

     9)  Discuss your problems with your pastor.