Romans 3:23 says that everyone has sinned (done things that offend God) and fallen short of the perfection of God. So step one is to admit that we are sinners and need God's help.
John 3:16 tells us that God loves us so much that he sent Jesus (his one and only Son) to provide a way for us to have a new and eternal life. To avoid the death penalty of our sinful ways and to receive the reward of eternal life, we must put our trust in Jesus, who paid the death penalty by dying on the cross and demonstrated eternal life by rising from the grave. That's the "gift" that Romans 6:23 talks about, which we'll get to in just a moment. So step two is to put our trust in Jesus instead of ourselves.
Romans 6:23 reminds us that the result of our sinful ways is death (the destruction of our lives), but that the free remedy that gives us eternal life is found in Jesus, the Son of God. Acts 3:19 puts it this way: "Repent (this means to turn around), then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord". So step three is to turn from our sinful ways and turn toward the beneficial ways of Jesus. This wipes our slate clean and gives us a brand new start in life.
In 2nd Corinthians 5:17 the apostle Paul says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"