MS Office makes it easy to assign custom keyboard shortcuts to any Word menu item using the Customize dialog box. Here are the steps to take.

How to Create a Shortcut for a Start Menu Item in Windows 7 Pro. Although some people like to keep a sparse, clutter-free desktop, others may prefer to fill it with shortcuts.

If you have several pre-defined blocks of content in Microsoft Word, you can avoid the busy Quick Parts gallery by assigning keyboard shortcuts.

Windows users can still turn any action into a keyboard shortcut (specifically, check the Restrict Your Hotkey to a Specific Application section), but it requires a bit more work.