Back in FFXI when I'd use a spell via macro and it was on cool down the chat log would prompt me with the current time of cool down on that spell for example,

-Press cure macro
-Chat log prompt
-unable to cast: 0:10

It's simple and easy and I don't have to look at the spell on my active action bar I can set all my macro spells to action bar 3 and forget about them and use my macros to cast those spells without having to see them to make sure they aren't on cool down. then it's like I have 1 action bar for main spells, ctrl macro bar for healing and buffs, Alt macro bar for enmity control and minor abilities. But in my case since I use my PS3 controller it would be L2 and R2 which I love!
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for those of you who don't know the strategy of using the D-pad and L2 and R2 its simple.

when you highlight a spell in your macro tab it saves the highlight when you close it so I have spells on a cue sorta speak. example

on my action bar I have [Light Strike] Highlighted ready for the cool down to wear
on my ctrl tab I have [Sacrifice] Highlighted ready to use when my HP gets low
on my alt tab I'll have ether provoke or an attack power highlighted ready to use

They all stay where I have them highlighted no matter if I switch bars so I can even ready other spells during casting or using an ability so really I stay ahead of my actions and plan for the next set of moves.

but because I have to see the cool down it's hard some times if I could just press the action and see where it is on cool down in my chat log I can gauge what actions to do next.

Using a Controller isn't hard at all in fact I've out casted and out chained PC users.