Do people really think this much when they're riding? I just keep it in the small ring, shifting up or down as necessary to keep cadence in a good range.
Do you actually "run through" all your gears in this way, starting with 1 from a standing stop? I spend about 90% of my time riding in about 4 gears (low-3/4/5/6), and only hit the granny gear for hills.