Did Gautama Buddha know his path? When Siddhartha Gautama started his path, before acknowledging the possibility of achieving and passing on the path to enlightenment, is there reference of his thoughts before making the decision to influence the world and ease its suffering?
Possibly. For example, MN 4:

Before my Awakening, when I was still an unawakened Bodhisatta, the
thought occurred to me ... If anyone, when speaking rightly, were to say: 'a being not subject to delusion has appeared in the world for the benefit &amp; happiness of many, out of
sympathy for the world, for the welfare, benefit &amp; happiness of human
&amp; divine beings,' he would rightly be speaking of me.