It starts for me in CAS. It often takes me 20 minutes or more, just to set a new sims first everyday outfit. All together I usually spend over an hour trying different outfits, makeup, and jewelry combinations just to give them one outfit in each category. It would take me all day to give them 5 outfits in each category.
I frequently have a hard time deciding where I want them to live, which world and house. I get to the choose a world screen and freeze. Like you I suffer from restart-itis, and those two questions have been the reason for a restart. I can't make up my mind so I get frustrated and start all over.