Put
a spoke in someone's wheel. The dictionaries tend to describe this
idiom as British, but I've found several examples of its use in AmE
publications, e.g.:
People are trying to put a spoke in your wheel, Capricorn,
so be on your guard. Not everyone has your best intentions at heart. (us.blastingnews.com);
They are also indispensable for sports activities such as trekking, so that the
rain doesn't put a spoke in your wheel and you continue to
enjoy outdoor adventures even on days that aren't really inviting. (y-o.w.com);
“I need you to help me, Manda. There's a lunatic who wants to hurt me, and
I need you to help me put a spoke in his wheel. I need you to
help me now!” (bookscool.com)
Also put/throw
a spanner in the works:
Nechci sám sobě házet
klacky pod nohy a zbytečně si ubírat výkonnost … I don't want to
put a spoke in my own wheel // throw a spanner in the works // make things difficult for myself and pointlessly
undermine my own performance
Nechceme eurozóně házet
klacky pod nohy, bankovní unii ale odmítneme. We don't want to throw a spanner in the Eurozone works // put a spoke in the Eurozone wheel // make things difficult for the Eurozone, but …
Also: make things/it/life difficult for
someone:
„Lidi v duhových rodinách – stejně jako v těch klasických –
chtějí, aby děti byly zajištěné. Jsou vlastně budoucnost našeho státu,
tak proč jim házet klacky pod
nohy ? People in rainbow families – just like those in conventional
ones – want their children (to be) provided for. They are actually the future
of our country, so why make things/it difficult
for them?